Abdul Carter continues his ridiculous social media tirade against the Jets

If you thought Abdul Carter was done taking chop shots at the New York Jets, you would be sorely mistaken. After the Giants defeated the Jets 31-12 on Saturday, the Penn State product took to social media to fan the flames of the Jets-Giants rivalry.

The 21-year-old is still poised to be one of the league’s top edge rushers someday, but taking a victory lap after a preseason game isn’t a good look, especially after getting flattened by third-string tight end Stone Smartt.

The No. 3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Carter quickly responded to claims about the play on social media, calling the play “the only highlight for the Jets all season,” referencing Big Blue’s victory in an argument that fell flat.

And the star pass rusher only continued to talk after the NFL posted the play on their Instagram account, calling it a welcome to the league moment, with Carter again referencing the final score.

Abdul Carter refuses to accept his 'Welcome to the NFL' moment

In his final season at Penn State, the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year recorded 12 sacks and 24 tackles for loss — all in his first season playing as a true edge rusher after playing linebacker his first two years at PSU. He’s received elite comparisons before ever suiting up on Sunday, but this doesn’t mean the transition to the NFL comes without a learning curve. 

Despite the Giants’ throwing for over 400 yards and looking dominant against Gang Green, the All-American pass-rusher didn’t do much to contribute. His 46.9 Pro Football Focus grade was second-lowest among all Giants and ranked 147th of 166 qualified edge rushers for the week.

And his claims got even more outlandish when addressing the media postgame. "That happens, but we got the win,” Carter told ESPN’s Jordan Ranaan. “That's all I'm worried about."

As talented as Carter is, it’s clear that a lack of maturity is making this exchange more noteworthy than it would have been. He could have owned the play and used it as bulletin board material, but instead is taking a victory lap over a preseason win.

It isn’t fun to see players lean into bravado when Week 1 is still two weeks away. If he keeps turning to social media to talk trash instead of letting his play do it for him, he risks letting noise overshadow the bright future in front of him.

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