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Report: Abdul Carter to wear No. 51 jersey with New York Giants

ProfilePhotoby: Nick Geddes05/09/25NickGeddesNews
Abdul Carter
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With the New York Giants’ rookie minicamp getting underway on Friday, 2025 No. 3 overall pick Abdul Carter finally has a number. Carter will wear No. 51 “today and moving forward,” per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The former Penn State standout pass rusher weighed several number options in what became a big story over the last couple of weeks. Carter spoke about his desire to wear No. 56 if Lawrence Taylor gave him permission. Carter hopes to follow in Taylor’s footsteps in New York after going as the top edge rusher in the draft. While speaking with the New York Post, he encouraged Carter to chart his own path.

“I know he would love to wear that number, but hey, I think it’s retired,” Taylor told Steve Serby. “Get another number, I don’t care if it’s double zero and then make it famous.”

The Giants retired Taylor’s No. 56 jersey in 1994, and anyone who wants to wear it would need permission to do so. A similar situation played out in Tennessee, where Cam Ward got Warren Moon’s blessing to wear his No. 1. Carter, however, will have to decide on his own number.

With No. 56 off the board, a new avenue was brought to Carter’s attention, as his college number in No. 11 was potentially available to him. Former Giants quarterback Phil Simms rocked the number, which was retired by the team. Comments made by the two-time Super Bowl champion led Carter to believe it was possible he’d receive Simms’s permission.

“I told some of my friends and people around me, ‘I’d let him have it in a second. Can you just help it a little or make it better?'” Simms said, via FanDuel TV. “I think it would be a lot of fun. It wouldn’t bother me.”

Evidently, Carter was a fan of the idea: “It would be an HONOR,” the first rounder posted on X in response. It all seemed to be coming together, until Simms told the media that he was outvoted by his family, and the number would stay retired in New York.

Carter will look to make No. 51 famous; he certainly has the talent to do it. He spent three seasons in Happy Valley, amassing 173 total tackles, 23 sacks, five forced fumbles and one interception. Carter totaled 12 sacks in 2024 alone and led the nation with 23.5 tackles for loss.