As the New York Giants enter the 2025 NFL season, one of their first-round rookies makes one thing clear: they are not to be viewed as a rookie. Abdul Carter took to Instagram to send a clear message to the NFL.
“Year 1, I ain’t no rookie,” Carter wrote on his personal Instagram account.
“[I’ve] been playing this game a long time. Ball is ball. I love this [expletive].”
The Pennsylvania native took his talents to his state’s top school for his NCAA run. At Penn State, Carter started nearly half of his games as a freshman. He collected 56 tackles and 6.5 sacks through his first season at the NCAA level.
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By the time he reached his sophomore season, Carter started all 13 games for the Nittany Lions. His production took a slight dip, as he picked up 48 tackles and just 4.5 sacks.
A down year meant nothing notable to Carter. Collecting 16 games of action last year, the numbers were back up in a big way. Carter ended up totaling 68 tackles. He got to the quarterback for 12 sacks, and he forced two fumbles throughout the year.
Although Carter’s fandom of the Philadelphia Eagles led many to believe his hometown team would attempt to work wonders to get him after they won the Super Bowl for the second time in franchise history, there was no trade-up to one or two for Philadelphia.
Carter was on the board when the Giants went on the clock with the third-overall pick. It was a no-brainer selection for New York, which already has a stellar pass rush.
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Although Carter is just technically a rookie on paper, he doesn’t believe his lack of NFL experience should have him overlooked. The early reports that came from spring practice suggested he’s had a dominant presence and has already looked as good as advertised—if not better.
This week, Carter will join his fellow rookies in reporting to the Giants’ training camp for the first few days. On July 22, the rest of the team is expected to report, joining Carter and the group of rookies after they get their feet wet. Carter’s first game opportunity will come on August 9, when the Giants will pay a visit to the Buffalo Bills for an afternoon kickoff.
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