Giants rookie Abdul Carter settles on jersey number after Lawrence Taylor, Phil Simms fiasco

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If Abdul Carter's jersey number selections were a batting average, he would be in the Hall of Fame. 

At least he can now build a Hall of Fame resume on a number that could go down in New York Giants lore.

After getting shut down to wearing both Lawrence Taylor's No. 56 and Phil Simms' No. 11, Carter, the third overall pick of the draft, has settled on No. 51.

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Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter, right, poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected 3rd overall by the New York Giants during the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field on April 24, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The Giants announced that Carter will wear the number for rookie minicamp (Jaxson Dart was given No. 6, and Cam Skattebo No. 44), but the numbers are subject to change.

Carter asked Taylor, perhaps the greatest Giant and defensive player ever, whether he could wear his No. 56, which was retired by the Giants in 1994. It was a hard no from LT himself.

Later on, Simms said he would allow Carter to wear his No. 11, which was retired by the Giants in 1995. Carter wore the number throughout his career at Penn State, a badge of honor at the school. It is given to a player the university, and the last representative, feels is worthy. The previous Nittany Lion to wear it before Carter was Micah Parsons, who wears it now with the Dallas Cowboys.

However, that request was ultimately shut down by Simms' family after a lengthy, fiery debate among the members of the household.

Upon hearing the news, Carter joked that