WFAN’s Boomer Esiason lambasts Abdul Carter for Jaxson Dart dispute

WFAN’s Boomer Esiason lambasts Abdul Carter for Jaxson Dart dispute

New York Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter said he and quarterback Jaxson Dart “are good” following their recent public spat.

On Saturday, May 23, Carter criticized Dart for introducing President Donald J. Trump at a New York rally. “What we doing man,” Carter posted on X. The same day, Carter posted that he and Dart “spoke … as Men” and everything was fine.

MORE: Steelers legend Charlie Batch sends bold message about Aaron Rodgers

But not everyone is ready to forgive and forget. A former New York Jets quarterback took an opportunity on Tuesday to rip into Carter for the controversy.

“This was a real error on the part of Abdul Carter, not on the part of Jaxson Dart,” Boomer Esiason said on his WFAN radio show. “But to put this out like a child on social media is ridiculous. Then, when I heard ‘Yeah, we spoke man to man,’ yeah, there was only one man on that call, and that was Jaxson Dart.”

Trying to live up to draft status

The Giants took Carter, a former Penn State edge rusher, with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He started just six games during his first season in the NFL, recording 43 tackles, four sacks, seven tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. His overall Pro Football Focus grade of 74.7 ranked 29th out of 115 qualified edge defenders.

MORE: Former NFL MVP receives call to 2026 class of Radio Hall of Fame

Esiason also mentioned Carter’s difficulty settling on a jersey number. Before his rookie season, Carter asked to wear No. 56 and No. 11, both of which are retired in honor of Giants legends Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms, respectively. After settling on No. 51 last season, Carter switched to No. 3 for 2026.

“You’re a man who wanted to wear number 56,” Esiason said, referring to Taylor. “And by the way, your idol, number 56, has introduced Donald Trump numerous times. So I don’t want to hear this.”

Unique opportunity for Dart

Meanwhile, the Giants took Dart 22 picks after Carter in the first round. The former Ole Miss Rebels quarterback started 12 games, completing 63.7 percent of his passes for 2,272 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. He led New York to all four of its victories during a 4-13 campaign.

Esiason said he didn’t blame Dart for seizing the chance to join President Trump at the rally.

“Jaxson Dart was asked to do something, to introduce the president of the United States,” Esiason said. “How many people get an opportunity to do something like that, regardless of who the president is?”

Esiason enjoyed a 14-year NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals, Jets and Arizona Cardinals. After his retirement, Esiason turned to broadcasting, becoming an NFL TV analyst and radio host.