FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — It’s unacceptable from an established veteran. It’s unfathomable from a rookie. For the second time in three weeks, the Giants benched linebacker Abdul Carter for violating team rules.
The first came after Carter slept through a walkthrough before the Giants’ game against the Packers, a team source confirmed. This time, according to the New York Post, he missed a team responsibility. Those weren’t isolated incidents, either. A team source said Carter has repeatedly shown up late to meetings throughout the season.
Advertisement
It’s an alarming pattern that points to a troubling lack of accountability for the rookie linebacker — and it’s starting to hurt the Giants.
“S–t happens,” Carter said.
To his credit, Carter eventually accepted responsibility for his latest absence. It took several questions, but he acknowledged he “let my team down,” noting the 10 points New England scored while he was off the field. He said he felt “sick to [his] stomach” on the sideline and needed to “be better.”
The words sound good. They always have. But why believe this time?
Tardiness isn’t new. Missing activities isn’t new. Under former coach Brian Daboll, a lack of accountability permeated the locker room, and Carter often benefited from that looseness. His first benching was viewed internally as a positive sign — a signal that interim coach Mike Kafka, who declined to offer details beyond saying the decision was his, would take a firmer approach.
Advertisement
But Carter responding to that discipline with another infraction two weeks later speaks louder than anything he might say. His actions, not his words, tell the story — and the story is getting more concerning.
“Everyone has different challenges — I had mine, he’s dealing with his,” edge rusher Brian Burns said. “I think it’s just an honest mistake. He’s human. He makes mistakes. At the end of the day, he does have to be a pro. He does have to take accountability…
..
[ad_2]