The saga with Abdul Carter and his jersey number is finally over — for now.
The New York Giants have officially released their jersey numbers for the rookies for the 2025 season, and Carter will wear No. 51 during rookie minicamp this weekend. All rookie numbers are subject to change, so Carter’s number is not set in stone. Quarterback Jaxson Dart, taken 25th overall, will wear No. 6.
Carter, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, failed in his pursuit of acquiring Lawrence Taylor’s No. 56 and Phil Simms’ No. 11 — both of which are retired by the Giants. Taylor shot down Carter’s request to wear the number and bring it out of retirement.
“I know he would love to wear that number, but hey, I think it’s retired,” Taylor said to the New York Post. “Get another number. I don’t care if it’s double zero, and then make it famous.”
While Taylor shot down Carter’s request, Carter didn’t seem to mind the denial. He wore No. 11 at Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) High School and at Penn State, but that number has also been retired by the Giants for some time. Phil Simms wore No. 11 for the Giants from 1979 through 1993 — his entire 15-year career with the franchise.
The Giants retired Simms’ number in 1995, and Simms would have allowed Carter to wear it — but that was voted down by his family.
Carter will wear No. 51, for now. The number last belonged to Azeez Ojulari, who departed the Giants and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. Based on how well Carter performed wearing the No. 11 at Penn State, maybe that will change.
A unanimous All-American in 2024, Carter led the FBS in tackles for loss (24). His 12 sacks were seventh in the FBS and 66 pressures were third, as Carter was named the 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
The versatile Carter switched positions from linebacker to defensive end in 2024, playing 300 snaps at defensive end, 317 at outside linebacker (mostly as a pass rusher) and 87 as an inside linebacker. Carter played 871 snaps as an inside linebacker in 2022 and 2023 (his freshman and sophomore seasons at Penn State), and 127 at outside linebacker in that span.
Carter joins a defensive line that includes Kayvon Thibodeaux, Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns for 2025. His production will do the talking, and heed to Taylor’s advice to make whatever number he chooses his own.
This news was originally published on this post .
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