Although the 2025 NFL Draft was nearly two weeks ago, plenty remains to discuss how the event went down. Fortunately, the Patriots have benefited from all the positive conversation surrounding the draft class. They haven't been the subject of much bad press from any of their selections, which is a nice change from years past.
That is not the case for every team, though, as some continue to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. That has prompted analysts, including legendary Patriots players Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, to discuss the shenanigans of other teams, with the most prominent being the Giants ' first-round draft pick and former favorite to be the No. 4 pick, Abdul Carter.
It was expected that the Giants would take the highly regarded pass rusher with their No. 3 pick, stripping the Patriots of the possibility of adding him to their roster.
But instead of celebrating New York's wise decision to take the Penn State alum, headlines have surrounded Carter's early request upon his arrival with the team, something Gronkowski, in particular, took major issue with.
Rob Gronkowski is not a fan of Abdul Carter wanting the Giants to unretire a legends jersey
Because Carter wore No. 11 throughout his college career, there were questions about what he would choose as the newest member of the New York Giants, mainly because that number is retired. Lawrence Taylor was enshrined by the franchise long ago for his immeasurable contributions to the NFL, so his jersey is (of course) deemed off-limits, similar to the Patriots' retiring Tom Brady's No. 12 last year.
Hearing that Carter requested Taylor allow him to wear his number, seemingly being rejected, set off Gronkowski. He unloaded on the rookie during one of the latest episodes of his and Edelman's podcast, "Dudes on Dudes."
“Was he serious asking for LT’s number? Yeah, you’re a high draft pick, but LT is an absolute legend. One of the best defenders of all time. Let me tell you, brother. You have to prove yourself. That’s crazy, asking for LT’s number. I’m glad LT shut him down like that.”
Some might feel his take is harsh, but Gronk is not entirely wrong.
Carter walked into the situation knowing his number was retired because one of the all-time greats was honored in that way. To then ask that legend to unretire his number for him, when he's an unproven rookie, is a bit presumptuous and not a great start to his NFL career.
It wouldn't be any different if the Patriots drafted a quarterback who then asked if they could unretire Brady's number and use No. 12 on their jersey. Patriots fans would be in an uproar and rightfully so.
Instead, Carter now has to live with the scrutiny that ensued because of his request and will hopefully become a solid piece of the Giants' defense for years to come, forcing critics to eventually forget the start of his New York tenure.