Abdul Carter jersey number: Lawrence Taylor shuts down idea of newest Giants member taking No. 56

Daniel Mader

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Abdul Carter jersey number: Lawrence Taylor shuts down idea of newest Giants member taking No. 56 image

When the Giants used their No. 3 overall pick on Abdul Carter, they did so with the hope that he become a franchise legend.

Carter's dominance at Penn State, with a unique blend of burst, power, and versatility, was on full display, making him an elite 2025 NFL Draft prospect. Now a Giant, Carter will have to pick what number he wants to wear in the Big Apple.

There's at least one number Carter definitely won't be wearing, though: Lawrence Taylor's old No. 56. The Giants legend has reportedly denied Carter the chance to wear the number.

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Here's more on why Taylor said Carter will have to find a number other than No. 56, plus other retired numbers Carter won't be able to wear.

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Lawrence Taylor denies Abdul Carter chance to wear No. 56 for Giants

Naturally, Carter wants to live up to the shoes of an all-time Giants great in Taylor. He called Taylor the greatest football player of all-time before the draft.

When he officially became a Giant, Carter told another former Penn State defender, Micah Parsons, that "56 sounds real good" for his new number, which was Taylor's former number with New York.

When asked about that idea in a press conference, Carter then praised Taylor even more.

"I haven't met him yet, eventually I will," Carter said. "He's the greatest football player of all-time and somebody I look up to. I want to chase greatness" 

Unfortunately for Carter, his No. 56 dreams won't become a reality. The number has already been retired by the Giants for Taylor's Hall-of-Fame level contributions to the franchise, meaning Carter would likely have to get permission from the legendary defender himself.

According to the New York Post, Taylor denied Carter that opportunity as of Friday night.

“I know he would love to wear that number, but hey, I think it’s retired," Taylor told the New York Post. "Get another number, I don’t care if it’s double zero, and then make it famous.”

Carter then tweeted in response, writing "The worst thing he could say was NO!!"

On Sunday, Carter noted on social media how he's filled "big shoes" before in wearing No. 11 at Penn State, which has traditionally been worn by the team's most dominant pass rushers, like LaVar Arrington and Micah Parsons. Carter said he "lived up" to that number and that he spoke to Taylor on the phone after the back-and-forth.

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Giants retired numbers

Taylor's No. 56 isn't the only number unavailable to Carter. The Giants have a total of 12 retired numbers as of 2025, per Big Blue Interactive. Here they are:

NumberPlayer
4Tuffy Leemans
7Mel Hein
10Eli Manning
11Phil Simms
14Ward Cuff, Y.A. Tittle
16Frank Gifford
32Al Blozis
40Joe Morrison
42Charlie Conerly
50Ken Strong
56Lawrence Taylor
92Michael Strahan

What number will Abdul Carter wear for the Giants?

With No. 56 out of the picture, as well as Carter's No. 11 from his Penn State days, he had to pick a new number.

He wore No. 23 in high school, per MaxPreps. But instead, he decided upon No. 51 on May 9, per ESPN. 

Daniel Mader

Daniel Mader is a Content Producer for The Sporting News. He joined SN in 2024 as an editorial intern following graduation from Penn State University. He has previously written for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, the Centre Daily Times, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Daily Collegian and LancasterOnline. Daniel grew up in Lancaster, Penn., with a love for baseball that’ll never fade, but could also talk basketball or football for days.