Phil Simms’ Family Blocks Abdul Carter from Wearing Retired No. 11 Giants Jersey

The New York Giants’ rookie linebacker Abdul Carter, the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has hit a roadblock in his quest to wear the retired No. 11 jersey of legendary quarterback Phil Simms. While Simms initially expressed openness to letting Carter don his iconic number, the women in his family—wife Diana and daughter Deidre—vetoed the idea with a passion that reportedly brought tears.

Chris Simms, Phil’s son and an NBC NFL analyst, shared the family drama on PFT Live, revealing how Deidre was stunned that Chris sided with their father. “How dare you,” she told him, promptly hanging up. Chris admitted that the Simms women’s votes outweighed the men’s, leaving Phil outvoted. “Mom and sister have one more vote,” he quipped, noting the emotional weight behind their stance.

The decision wasn’t just a family affair. Phil faced a wave of public backlash urging him to keep No. 11 retired, which caught him off guard. Carter’s request followed a similar denial from Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, who refused to let the rookie wear his retired No. 56, advising Carter to “make his own number famous.”

While some NFL rookies, like Malik Nabers with Ray Flaherty’s No. 1, have secured permission to wear retired numbers, Carter’s back-to-back rejections have sparked buzz in the NFL world. Now, the rookie must carve his own legacy with a new number, proving that greatness isn’t tied to a jersey.