The struggling New York Giants have a new boss calling the shots, and he’s already making it clear that things are going to be different. Interim head coach Mike Kafka is moving away from the style of former coach Brian Daboll, and he proved it in his first game. 

“Being late to meetings has been a trend during Carter’s rookie season that former coach Brian Daboll let slide, a source said,” wrote an NFL reporter for the Giants, Connor Hughes, on his X account.

On November 16, 2025, during a 27-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers, Kafka benched rookie linebacker Abdul Carter for the opening defensive drive. 

Carter reportedly missed a team walk-through because he was asleep inside the team’s facility. Kafka’s decision to bench the highly drafted rookie was a decisive signal that the days of Daboll letting it slide are over. This move fits with what the Giants’ leadership wants from the 38-year-old Kafka, who is known for his work developing Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City.

 ESPN suggests the team brass sees Kafka as a strong leader who can shake up the team’s culture and fix what has been a lost season. Kafka’s early actions, which even included blocking other teams from interviewing him, show he’s fully committed to turning the Giants’ identity around.

Mike Kafka benches Abdul Carter ahead of the Packers clash

New York Giants rookie linebacker Abdul Carter didn’t start the game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Initially, the benching was thought to be a punishment for sleeping through a recent walk-through. But Carter seemed to be in disagreement.

“When the hate don’t work they start telling lies!” the linebacker posted on X.

Carter posted that seemingly in light of the narrative of him being asleep. The former Penn State star was kept off the field for the Giants’ entire opening defensive series. The Packers ran six plays before having to punt, and Carter remained on the sideline.

After the game, the rookie gave some clarification to the reporters about why he was disciplined by interim head coach Mike Kafka.

“I made a mistake during the week that was detrimental to the team,” Carter said, according to ESPN. “That was the consequence of it. Got to live with it.” 

While Coach Kafka simply called it a “coach’s decision,” the benching came at a tough time, as the Giants were already missing star outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, who was out with a shoulder injury. Defensive Coordinator Shane Bowen had to plug the hole by using veteran Tomon Fox in place of Carter for the opening drive.

Coming into the season, the 22-year-old Carter was considered a strong contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year. However, his performance has been disappointing so far, with only half a sack all season. Despite the low sack total, the stats show he’s actually getting to the quarterback often, with a healthy pressure rate.

Coach Kafka still gave Carter some praise after the game, suggesting that while discipline is important, the team still believes in the talented rookie. Hopefully, Carter gets a clean slate and can make a bigger impact next week.