Rookie outside linebacker Abdul Carter has addressed the issue surrounding his absence from practice during Week 11 and is now focused on moving ahead. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Carter took responsibility for missing a practice session and emphasized his commitment to improving.
“We”re focused on this week, so that”s what I”m trying to focus on,” Carter stated following Wednesday”s practice. “They expect me to do my job. It”s as simple as that.”
The controversy arose when a report from The Athletic indicated that Carter had reportedly slept through a Friday morning walkthrough. In response, Carter explained via a report from ESPN that he was undergoing therapy at that time and was unaware of the schedule change, referring to the incident as “an innocent mistake.”
The situation did not sit well with interim head coach Mike Kafka, who chose to bench the rookie for the first series in the team”s recent loss to the Green Bay Packers. However, Kafka has since moved past the incident. “Abdul has my full support,” Kafka said. “We”re all here for him, our coaches, the players, the leadership group. It”s not really necessarily about Abdul, but about everybody in our unit, in our team. They”ve got our support, and we”re here, we”ve got their backs.”
Carter, known for his standout performance at Penn State, acknowledged that his rookie season has not gone as expected. He reflected on the transition from playing for enjoyment to competing professionally. “It”s my first year. Obviously, there”s going to be new things I have to learn, come through, and approach and learn from. So that”s what I”m doing,” he remarked.
Kafka praised Carter”s work ethic, stating, “He practices his tail off, he plays his tail off, he”s continuing to learn and grow as a young player, and I”m proud of him for how he”s handled these things. It hasn”t been an easy couple of days, but I”m proud of him, and I think he”s earned a lot of respect in the locker room and will continue to grow and be a great teammate and learn from the things that he”s done.”
