Sports

Abdul Carter Takes From Both Lawrence Taylor And Phil Simms For New York Giants Number

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Lawrence Taylor told Abdul Carter, “No.” Phil Simms told Abdul Carter, “No.” But now it appears that it’s Carter who may have the last laugh when it comes to his jersey number with the New York Giants. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft finally settled on a number on Thursday, and it’s one that takes from both Taylor and Simms.

The New York Giants announced that Carter will officially wear the No. 51 in 2025. The number combines the first digit of Taylor’s iconic No. 56 and the last digit from Simms’ No. 11. The announcement also comes after NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt suggested Carter choose No. 51 for exactly that reason.

“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.”

To be fair to Carter, he took both Taylor and Simms’ rejections in stride, even if Simms initially gave him a different answer. Now the Penn State product can turn his focus to what really matters, his play on the field. Several scouts and draft experts had Carter, a unanimous All-American a year ago, as the draft’s top prospect regardless of position.

He now joins a New York defensive line that already features big names such as Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeaux, giving the Giants potentially one of the top pass rushes in the league. Should he live up to those lofty expectations, he could find himself in a position to have his own number retired in New York at some point down the line.