Giants Rookie Carter Tallies 7 Tackles, 2 Forced Fumbles in Loss

New York Giants rookie outside linebacker Abdul Carter delivered a breakout performance in a 29-21 loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday, recording seven tackles, three for loss, a sack, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery that set up a late scoring chance for his team.

The 22-year-old Carter, selected third overall in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Penn State, entered the game with just 1.5 sacks despite generating 44 pressures over the first 14 weeks. His explosive play marked the first time a Giants rookie had achieved three tackles for loss in a single game since the statistic became official in 1999. Carter's efforts included a strip sack on quarterback Marcus Mariota early in the second half and a forced fumble with under three minutes remaining, which he recovered at midfield. That turnover fueled New York's final drive, though the team fell short of tying the score.

Carter's dominance came after a challenging start to his professional career. He had been benched twice in recent weeks under interim head coach Mike Kafka: once for missing a walkthrough against the Green Bay Packers and again for arriving late to a special teams meeting before a game against the New...