Abdul Carter Injury News & Updates

Carter totaled four tackles (two solo), including 1.0 sacks, in the Giants' loss to the Patriots on Monday.

Carter was benched for the first quarter after missing a team responsibility during the week, but he ended up having a productive outing once on the field. The rookie first-round pick recorded the first full sack of his career, and he'll look to build on this strong performance following the team's upcoming bye week.

Carter did not play in the first quarter of Monday's game against the Patriots, Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic reports.

The Giants have termed the benching a coach's decision, with an additional report from Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reporting that the move was made after Carter missed a team responsibility during the week. Carter has been spotted on the sideline wearing a coat over his jersey, but he is expected to take the field at some point.

Head coach Mike Kafka told reporters after Sunday's 27-20 loss to the Packers that it was his decision to hold Carter off the field for the Giants' first defensive series of the game. "It was my decision, we'll keep the rest of that in house."

Carter relayed to reporters he "made a mistake" in the week leading up to Sunday's contest but didn't provide further details, per Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. Carter had just one solo tackle during the loss, but it's unclear whether he'll see his defensive snap count decreased moving forward. The Giants hit the road for Week 12 to take on the Lions on Sunday, Nov. 23.

Carter (hamstring) is active for Sunday's game against the Broncos, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

Carter was a late addition to the Giants' injury report Friday due to a hamstring injury. He has gone through pregame warmups without suffering a setback, and the No. 3 overall pick has been cleared to play in Denver. Carter has logged 13 tackles (seven solo), including 0.5 sacks, through the first six regular-season games of his NFL career.

Carter (hamstring) is considered a game-time decision for Sunday's game against the Broncos, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Carter popped up on Friday's practice report as a limited participant due to a hamstring injury. He traveled with the team to Denver on Saturday, and how his hamstring responds to pregame warmups will determine whether he will play Sunday. Chauncey Golston (neck) has already been ruled out, so the Giants may have to turn to Victor Dimukeje (neck) -- who was activated from injured reserve Saturday -- to take on a more prominent, rotational role as an edge rusher behind Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux if Carter is unable to play.

Carter (hamstring) is listed as questionable ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Broncos, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.

The 21-year-old was a late addition to the Giants' injury report, popping up as a limited practice participant Friday due to a hamstring issue. Dan Duggan of The Athletic reported that Carter spoke to reporters following Friday's practice and suggested he's planning to play in Week 7, but this injury is something to monitor moving forward. The third-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft has tallied 13 total tackles, including 0.5 sacks, over his first six NFL games. If active Sunday, Carter is likely to operate as one of the Giants' top edge rushers.

Carter has been used in various roles during OTAs as the Giants try to balance his playing time with Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, Dan Duggan of The Athletic reports.

Burns and Thibodeaux are the nominal starters at outside linebacker, but the Giants deployed numerous packages featuring all three pass rushers, including some sets in which Carter shifted inside. The third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft also got some reps with the second-team defense, including one on which Carter sacked Jameis Winston.

Carter (foot) participated during OTAs on Wednesday, Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reports.

While there is still no live contact, it's an encouraging sign for Carter that he's on the field with his new team for offseason workouts. It doesn't appear that the stress fracture in his foot that kept him from doing athletic testing during the pre-draft process should impact his availability come the start of the 2025 season. Carter figures to form part of a fearsome three-headed monster on the edge along with two-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.

The Giants selected Carter (foot) in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, third overall.

Carter (6-foot-3, 250 pounds) was widely considered a viable first overall pick, and at the third pick the former Penn State star could prove a foundational pickup for the Giants defense. Even with substantial investments made in Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, Carter will likely force his way into a three-down role at some point his rookie year, if not immediately. Carter's 12.0 total sacks in 2024 doesn't fully capture how disruptive he was -- a better measure would be his 23.5 tackles for loss, which is a threshold rarely reached. It's possible that the Giants will consider moving Thibodeaux, if only because a talent like Carter can't stay on the bench for long. Although a stress fracture in his foot kept Carter from participating in pre-draft athletic testing, the injury won't require surgery and is considered close to a non-issue.