Giants’ Abdul Carter Misses Walkthrough, Faces Disciplinary Action

Abdul Carter was undergoing treatment in a red light therapy bed at the Giants’ facility while the team held a walkthrough Friday morning. This absence prompted interim head coach Mike Kafka to decide against starting Carter in the 27-20 defeat to the Packers on Sunday.

Contrary to initial reports claiming that Carter missed the walkthrough due to sleeping, that information has been found to be incorrect.

Since taking over from Brian Daboll, Kafka has made some alterations to the practice schedule, including a brief walkthrough on Friday mornings. Players were informed of this change during a team meeting, but apparently, Carter missed the announcement. He believed he had time to utilize the red light therapy bed for recovery. This therapy is typically used to enhance cellular function, alleviate pain, and minimize inflammation.

Interestingly, the recovery room isn’t in the main trainer’s area and isn’t frequently visited. It’s possible that Carter didn’t have any teammates or training staff around to inform him about the issue while he was in treatment. These circumstances contributed to his missing the walkthrough but shouldn’t be viewed as excuses.

Kafka had the option to handle the situation internally—perhaps by fining Carter and allowing him to play as the starting outside linebacker in place of the injured Kayvon Thibodeau. Instead, Kafka chose to bench Carter for the first defensive series before letting him participate in the remaining snaps. After the game, Kafka acknowledged it was a “coach’s decision” and mentioned that Carter “played recklessly,” noting he didn’t want to single him out as a warning. Still, he expressed enthusiasm about Carter’s potential growth as a professional.

Kafka’s actions seem to reflect a desire to establish himself as a firm leader, insisting that even a top draft pick like Carter must comply with the rules. Sources reveal mixed perspectives on whether Carter has a history of tardiness this season.

Carter shared his thoughts with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, asserting, “My mistake was an honest mistake. I accept that it was an honest mistake. I was receiving treatment and I told Coach Kafka about it. But it’s not true that I was sleeping at that time. And it wasn’t a trend. This was the only time something like this happened.”

He added, “I don’t want anonymous sources saying false things like this about me. I made a mistake, and I own what I did.”