The New England Patriots avoided one of the more talented members of the New York Giants during their matchup on Monday — at least early on.

Abdul Carter, who was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, was benched for disciplinary reasons, according to ESPN’s Laura Rutledge. Carter didn’t take the field for a defensive snap until the second quarter.

Carter was also benched for multiple series during a Week 11 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

The Giants reportedly benched their star rookie for sleeping in the team facility at the time of a walk-through — which he denied. New York clearly felt the lesson from his initial punishment wasn’t learned, however, which led to some more disciplinary action.

The Patriots built an early 17-0 lead that probably would have stood with the rookie

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