The New York Giants are on the road, taking on the New England Patriots for Week 13's "Monday Night Football" game. The Giants started the game on defense, but were missing a key piece.
Rookie pass-rusher Abdul Carter was not on the field for the entire first quarter. There was a viral post on social media claiming that Carter would be benched for the first drive, but it was from a noted parody account. Then, Carter wasn't on the field to start the game. New York's defense bent but didn't break, holding New England to a field goal to open the game.
Here is more on why Carter was benched for the opening drive against the Patriots for Week 13's "Monday Night Football" matchup.
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Abdul Carter benching
Carter was held out for the first drive on Monday night against the Patriots. The broadcast said that the reasoning was just given as a "coach's decision." Carter ended up being held out the entirety of the first quarter.
Carter eventually took the field early in the second quarter. He ended up getting a big tackle on third-and-short, showing how important he is to the defense when he is out there.
A league source told Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post that Carter was benched for "missing all/part of a team responsibility."
After the game, interim head coach Mike Kafka reiterated several times that it was "strictly" his decision. When asked whether he missed a team meeting or a responsibility, Kafka said no and said he decided not to play him. The media hammered him with questions about it, and Kafka continued to say that it was his decision. He was asked if he regretted it, and he said he didn't.
Mike Kafka offers virtually nothing on Abdul Carter other than saying the team has “high standards” and this was “my decision” to bench him. #Giants
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) December 2, 2025
Kafka said the benching was because "how we went during the week." He was also asked how concerning it was that this was the second time in three weeks that Carter was benched in this way, and Kafka responded, "Yeah, no, it's unfortunate, but that's the kind of way that he works with it this week."
After the New York media pressed him, he said the following:
"I talked with Abdul about this week, and decided to not play him for the first two series." After more pressing, Kafka said, "this is a kid that I back, I support this kid. Highly. For any young player that we have on the roster whether it is Abdul or any rookie, or young player, we're going to make sure we take him under our wing, and continue to develop these guys. Because they are important to us, they're important to me, and Abdul is no different, just like Jaxson, just like young players like Tracy [Tyrone], and D.A., all these guys that are stepping up in big time major roles, these are the guys that we are going to continue to develop, continue to grow, continue to be pros, and the standards that we have in our program are sky high and everyone is being upheld to them, but that was my decision, my decision only, and anything else outside of it is going to be kept in house."
In his postgame press conference, Carter didn't offer much. He simply said, "sh-- happens," per ESPN's Jordan Raanan. Even though Kafka wouldn't say it, Raanan says that the feeling is that Carter was late again. Carter said, "I let my team down today." When asked if he feels the message got through this time, he said, "Yeah." When a media member asked him if it is the switch from Daboll to Kafka, he said, "it's not him, it's me." Carter added, "I have to be better. I have to take pride in what I do, be where I have to be at. Simple as that."
Carter said that he found out earlier in the week that he wouldn't be playing the first two defensive drives of the game. The rookie also responded to that viral post from the parody account with a response from his personal account on X.
Carter's teammate Brian Burns was asked about the rookie's second benching of the season. "I think it's just an honest mistake, ya know? He's human, he makes mistakes, at the end of the day, he does have to be a pro and he does have to take accountability, which he did for what happened. I'm just trying to help him be the best he can, help him through his rookie campaign, that's all."
Brian Burns on Abdul Carter’s second benching in three weeks pic.twitter.com/04PJ125wYC
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) December 2, 2025
Burns, a leader of the defense, was asked about his adjustment to the league as a rookie with the Carolina Panthers, and if he struggled like Carter is with team rules. "I think everybody go through rookie pains and you just now get into the league. Everybody has different challenges, I had mine, he's dealing with his. As long as he takes accountability, takes it like a man then, you human, we all make mistakes."
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Abdul Carter history of benchings
This is not the first time that Carter has been held out to start a game, and not the first time in the last month. Carter was accused of sleeping through the start of practice in mid-November and he was held out of the first defensive series against the Green Bay Packers in Week 11. Carter denied that he was sleeping through the start of practice and instead said that he was getting treatment.
Carter said the confusion came from interim head coach Mike Kafka changing the practice times that the rookie was used to from previous head coach Brian Daboll.
About the incident, Carter said, "My mistake was an honest mistake. I own the fact that it was an honest mistake. I was getting treatment and I told Coach Kafka that, too. But to say I was sleeping at that time just wasn't true. And it also wasn't a trend. This was the only time it happened. I don't want anonymous sources to say these types of things about me that are untrue. I did make a mistake, and I own up to what I did."