He has just one sack for a New York Giants’ defense with only three quarterback takedowns to its credit four games into the 2026 NFL season, but Abdul Carter shouldn’t be judged on that “overrated” metric, according to a two-time Super Bowl-winning defensive end.
Instead, Carter should be judged for what he is, “a pressure generator.” That’s according to former Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots and St. Louis Rams edge-rusher Chris Long.
After watching him keep the heat on the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4, Long explained on the Green Light podcast why Carter is proof that “sacks are overrated.”
Long, who logged 70 sacks during his career, wants “ya’ll to know, he’s (Carter’s) got one sack this year, he’s one of the best rushers in the league when it comes to winning rushes, and winning them fast. And yesterday’s tape, watch it. He’s up and down the line just beating the dog [Expletive] out of people.”
That’s quite the endorsement from a pass-rusher who lifted the Lombardi Trophy with both the Eagles and the Pats. Long has put himself firmly on one side of the debate around Carter.
The Giants drafted him third overall in 2025 to be a difference-maker, but production has consistently eluded Carter. At least on a tangible level.
Carter is generating pressures at a prolific rate, notably during a nine-pressure game against the Cards, per Next Gen Stats.
Yet, is pressure alone enough? What about the game-changing impact of sacks and the excitement they generate as splash plays?
Carter’s being judged differently than almost every other top pass-rusher in the league. Fair or not, two other senior authorities on the value of pressure versus sacks agree with Long about the Giants’ marquee rush end.
Abdul Carter Becoming Reference Point for Sacks vs. Pressure Debate
Carter is fast becoming the go-to case study for those who would debate the merits of pressure over sacks. Among them, New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan told ex-Patriots wide receiver and three-time Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman the sack “is an overrated stat.”
Jordan was speaking on the “Games with Names” podcast back in July. He believes “some guys get so caught up in ‘I gotta get sacks, ‘I gotta get sacks!’ And we look at it like, ‘Oh’ he’s the best because he had 19 0r 20 or 22 sacks,’ but he’s not worth a damn in the run, but we don’t talk about it.”
Those words aren’t a flippant dismissal of the value of sacks. Not from a player with 137.5 sacks (including playoffs) and eight Pro Bowl berths to his credit.
Jordan’s view is shared by Long’s fellow Super Bowl winner, Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The veteran schemer discussed his own unit’s difficulty getting to quarterbacks this season, and he told reporters, “I know you guys have a love affair with the sack stat, but the ball’s coming out quick a lot.”
Fangio’s words speak to a familiar defense of Carter’s production. Many, including Giants great Carl Banks, have credited Carter for making quarterbacks release the ball quicker than they’d like.
That’s a useful trait, but fans can still expect Carter to convert at least some of his many pressures into actual sacks. Particularly when he’s the leading figure tasked with transforming a mediocre pass rush.
Giants Can’t Overlook Value of Sacks
Sacks are momentum-shifting plays that get fans out of seats and deflate opposing teams. Tackling quarterbacks behind the line of scrimmage is also a key part of winning the battle for field position.
A Giants offense without injured star quarterback Jaxson Dart for the rest of the season will need some short fields. Particularly if No. 1 receiver Malik Nabers succumbs to his own lingering injury problem.
Carter’s pressures can create turnovers to flip the field, but so can sacks. There ought to be a way for a roving pass-rusher with his talent to provide both in games the Giants need him to dominate.
The Giants will eventually need Carter to turn pressures into sacks because they lack another credible threat to the pass-pocket. Three-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns is out for the season with a brutal knee injury, while head coach John Harbaugh dropped a worrying update about the health of another useful edge defender.
Those developments mean it’s on Carter to pick up the slack. He’s unlikely to be helped by fellow outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux.
The latter is drawing a blank for pass-rush wins, according to SNY.tv’s Connor Hughes, citing Pro Football Focus. Hughes notes “Thibodeaux has a 0.0 mark — last of qualifying edge players (50% of 182 snaps). He has four total pressures in 51 pass rush snaps.”
Kayvon Thibodeaux has a 0.0 mark — last of qualifying edge players (50% of 182 snaps). He has four total pressures in 51 pass rush snaps.
#GiantsThibodeaux must step up, if only to prevent Carter from seeing more double teams. Without some help, Carter’s sack drought will be extended and tougher to defend.
Super Bowl DE Tells Giants’ Fans to Judge Abdul Carter Differently