The Abdul Carter jersey number saga took another turn on Friday night.
The New York Giants rookie first set his sights on the retired No. 56 in honor of Lawrence Taylor, an idea the legendary linebacker quickly shot down. Carter’s backup plan was to go for No. 11, the number he wore during his three years at Penn State.
Like Lawrence’s No. 56, the Giants retired the number in honor of Super Bowl-winning quarterback Phil Simms. But unlike Lawrence, Simms was initially open to unretiring his number for Carter.
However, a report emerged on Friday night that Simms was “outvoted” by his family on the matter. As a result, Simms’ No. 11 “will not be coming out of retirement” for Carter.
Breaking: Good news for Giants fans who believe in tradition. Phil Simms' #11 will not be coming out of retirement for first-round pick Abdul Carter, who wore 11 at Penn State. Simms said on a podcast he would be okay with it but he told me tonight he was outvoted by his family.…
— Gary Myers (@GaryMyersNY) May 3, 2025
Before Simms’ change of heart, Carter expressed that “it would be an honor” to rock Simms’ No. 11. Carter had a dejected, yet playful response when Simms took his number back just hours later.
“Damn at this point imma be out there with just my last name on my jersey, no number,” wrote Carter. “Jkjk, It’s all Love. Just wanna play Football!”
Damn at this point imma be out there with just my last name on my jersey, no number😂😂😂 Jkjk, It’s all Love. Just wanna play Football!
— Abdul Carter (@1NCRDB1) May 3, 2025
Sports franchises retire numbers for a reason. Athletes create lasting memories for the team and its fans while wearing the numbers that eventually go up in the rafters. Having a player’s jersey retired immortalizes that number and the memories that come with it, which is something Simms’ family felt strongly about.
After two rejections, Carter may need to heed Taylor’s advice and carve out a legacy of his own with a completely untethered number.
