The New York Giants have made the news for all the wrong reasons in the past week or so.
From Malik Nabers’ injury to one of their young stars calling out the other on social media, it hasn’t been the smoothest start for John Harbaugh.
Abdul Carter openly criticized Jaxson Dart for introducing President Donald Trump at a rally, prompting backlash and mixed reactions from both sides of the aisle.
However, the team has met and has buried the hatchet, and they’re now focused on playing ball. Per Jameis Winston, they’ve grown together after this controversy, but they also realize the power of their platform.
Jameis Winston says the Giants have grown from Jaxson Dart-Abdul Carter controversy
“We’ve grown from it, and I think that’s the thing,” Winston told the media. “…We know we get paid to do. But a lot of us are opening our eyes to the influence that we do have on the whole world. And that’s a beautiful thing. When you can humble yourself and realize that, ‘Man, I got impact. I can really be the change that I desire to see.’ And that’s what I’m encouraging these guys to do.”
That’s a wise response from a veteran, and that also shows one of the many reasons why guys like Winston still have a place in the league.
Veteran leaders are there to be glue guys. They don’t usually get to play much, but they do plenty of dirty work behind closed doors to ensure the ship stays its course.
Carter and Dart both have a right to stand up for what they believe in, outside noise be damned. Of course, these are polarizing times, and one would be naive to ignore why this could be a major issue for each party.
That’s also why the Giants are doing the right thing by not trying to sweep this one under the rug. They’ve given some P.R.-trained answers, but they’ve also addressed the importance of speaking up.
NFL locker rooms are filled with dozens of people, and they won’t always see eye to eye. Still, they’re all pushing for the same goal once they get in to the trenches.