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The New York Giants grabbed Penn State’s explosive defensive end Abdul Carter with the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Many analysts believe they landed the draft’s most talented player, period.
Carter’s arrival in East Rutherford quickly turned into an unexpected storyline – not about his on-field potential, but his jersey number. The rookie first approached Giants legend Lawrence Taylor about wearing the iconic No. 56, which has been retired since 1994.
LT shut him down – respectfully.
Taylor’s message was clear: Carter needs to forge his own path. “He can’t be another Lawrence Taylor. Well, he may be better than a Lawrence Taylor, who knows? But he has to make his mark. It’s up to him,” the Hall of Famer told ESPN.
Undeterred, Carter then set his sights on No. 11 – his college number at Penn State. This meant approaching another Giants legend, two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Phil Simms. Though Simms reportedly considered the request, he was ultimately overruled by his own family who wanted the number to remain retired.
A Simple Solution to Carter’s Number Problem
The jersey drama has divided fans. Some see Carter’s requests as disrespectful to team legends, while others point to precedent – like when the Giants unretired No. 1 last year for Malik Nabers.
Good Morning Football’s Kyle Brandt thinks he’s found the perfect compromise for the rookie.
I solved Abdul Carter’s jersey number dilemma. pic.twitter.com/fTnD2i0ZB3
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) May 5, 2025
Brandt’s solution? Take Taylor’s 56 and Simms’ 11 and split the difference. On Monday’s show, he dramatically erased parts of both numbers on a whiteboard to reveal: 51.
“51 is available on the Giants’ roster right now, 51 is not retired by the New York Giants, it’s half of LT, it’s half of Simms, it’s a classic linebacker number,” Brandt explained. “The Giants fans will respect it, it’s an old fashioned number, and that will resonate with them and I think [Carter] will make it [his] own.”
The suggestion actually makes perfect sense. It gives Carter a number with real significance and built-in marketing potential. Better yet, it creates a compelling backstory if the third overall pick lives up to his potential with Big Blue.
At this point, Carter’s best move is probably to pick something – anything – and let this storyline fade away. The longer this jersey drama continues, the more it distracts from what really matters: his play on the field.
