Giants Legend Reveals Why Abdul Carter Can’t Wear No. 11, Days After Rejection From Lawrence Taylor

Abdul Carter walked into the facility with the swagger of someone who knew exactly what number he wanted stitched on the back of his jersey. It wasn’t just a number—it was legacy. The kind of legacy kids grow up idolizing, replicating in backyard games, etching onto notebooks. But in New York, some numbers aren’t just uniforms. They’re sacred. They come with banners, rings, and decades of weight. And this rookie? He dared to ask for two of them. The result? A polite but public slap on the wrist from one Giants icon, and a reluctant denial from another—overruled not by teammates or coaches, but by family.

The dream duo behind the Giants’ two Super Bowl victories before the turn of the millennium—quarterback Phil Simms and linebacker Lawrence Taylor—remain sacred names in New York football history. Simms, once projected as a Day 2 pick, shocked the world when the Giants selected him sixth overall in the 1979 NFL Draft. Two years later, they doubled down on greatness with the second overall pick: Lawrence Taylor. Together, they became the pillars of Big Blue’s golden era.

Fast forward to 2025, and rookie pass-rusher Abdul Carter—drafted third overall out of Penn State—is sparking fresh conversations about those very legends. Not with his play yet, but with his jersey number request. Carter, who wore No. 11 at Penn State, was eager to keep it in the NFL. And Phil Simms, surprisingly, gave the green light. “If it was up to me, I would probably give it to him,” Simms told The Morning Show last week. Carter was thrilled. “It would be an HONOR,” he responded on social media. But the celebration didn’t last long.

In a recent interview with veteran NFL writer Gary Myers, Simms revealed the full story: “I brought it up to my family. We talked about it… and they outvoted me.” For many fans, it came as a relief. Simms’ No. 11 is one of the most iconic in franchise history. He finished his 15-year career with 95 wins, two Lombardi Trophies, and a performance in Super Bowl XXI that remains the gold standard for quarterback efficiency: 22 of 25 passing for 268 yards and a 150.9 passer rating—still the highest in Super Bowl history.

Damn, Abdul Carter won’t be wearing number 56 or number 11

Phil Simms was okay with Carter wearing 11, but his family outvoted him, per @GaryMyersNY pic.twitter.com/XtzM1PTJyQ

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) May 3, 2025

Now, Carter will need to build his own identity in a different jersey. At Penn State, he made No. 11 legendary in its own right, taking the reins from Cowboys DE Micah Parsons and three-time Pro Bowler LaVar Arrington with pride. “Look at the LEGACY of ST1X,” Carter tweeted. “I came to PSU and not only lived up to that number, but made it even more legendary.”

But if Simms’ family rejection felt like a door closing, it came just days after another giant of Giants lore slammed the other one shut.

Abdul Carter deals with LT’s rejection

Lawrence Taylor’s No. 56 is more than retired—it’s immortal. The second-ever defensive player to win league MVP (after Vikings great Alan Page), LT redefined the linebacker position and delivered the Giants their first Super Bowl in 1986.

So when Carter’s request for No. 56 reached Taylor, the Hall of Famer didn’t mince words. “I know he would love to wear that number, but hey, I think it’s retired. Get another number—I don’t care if it’s double zero—and then make it famous,” Taylor told Carter via The Post.

Carter took the message in stride, tweeting, “The worst thing he could say was NO!! My stance doesn’t change, LT is the GOAT, nothing but respect… This is just gonna make me work even harder!! I love it.” That grit defines Carter. Vocal and confident, he’s one of the rare defensive players who genuinely believes he can shift the quarterback-centric narrative. Before the draft, he even made the bold claim that he could provide more impact than most QBs taken in Round 1.

As the Giants gear up for training camp, one question remains: What number will Abdul Carter wear? More than a number, this offseason saga has underscored something deeper—how legacy is protected in New York. You don’t just wear the past here. You earn the right to carry it forward. And if Carter’s attitude is any clue, he’s not backing down. The rejections haven’t defined him. They’ve only given him more space to write his own chapter—jersey number TBD.

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