New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots avoided one of the more talented members of the New York Giants during their matchup on Monday — at least early on.
Abdul Carter, who was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, was benched for disciplinary reasons, according to ESPN’s Laura Rutledge. Carter didn’t take the field for a defensive snap until the second quarter.
Carter was also benched for multiple series during a Week 11 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
The Giants reportedly benched their star rookie for sleeping in the team facility at the time of a walk-through — which he denied. New York clearly felt the lesson from his initial punishment wasn’t learned, however, which led to some more disciplinary action.
The Patriots built an early 17-0 lead that probably would have stood with the rookie in the lineup, but that will certainly be a subject of discussion next week around New York/New Jersey.
