EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Teammates Jaxson Dart and Abdul Carter say their relationship is fine after a "disagreement" last week stemming from the New York Giants quarterback introducing president Donald Trump at an event in New York. The two were even seen publicly embracing after Dart gave a statement to the media on Friday.Dart's appearance at the rally last Friday prompted Carter to post a critical message on social media the following day. They then talked and ironed out their differences according to Carter, but the team still held a meeting on Tuesday morning where Dart and several team leaders addressed the room."I know Jaxson is a good dude," Carter said. "Like I said, I was drafted with this guy. I've known him for almost two years now, so I know what he represents, and I know that our goals align as a team. Just because we have a disagreement on something doesn't mean that there is something more than that. It's just a disagreement and we can talk about it as men, which we did, and move forward from it. That's my last time answering that."Carter was not at the team meeting on Tuesday. He had a preplanned absence from the voluntary workouts as he attended to religious obligations.Dart explained his stance with a three-plus-minute statement after Friday's Organized Team Activity at the Giants team facility. He noted his respect for the presidential position, regardless of political affiliation, and his long family military history.Multiple sources told ESPN that the original plan for last week did not involve Dart introducing the president. But the plan changed along the way. Coach John Harbaugh said he only knew that Dart was supposed to meet the president. Dart's role in the political event for New York Rep. Mike Lawler eventually caught Carter's attention. They had a conversation on Saturday afternoon and Carter later shared on social media that everything was fine."We just talked," Dart said. "Me and Abdul came here at the same time. We shared a lot of similar experiences. We've experienced adversity through a season and had to have each others' backs, and that's exactly what we continued to do today. Me and him are one of the closer guys on the team with each other, so we've had a lot of conversation and he's my brother. I know that I'm a brother to him and, at the end of the day, we want to be the best people and players for each other."Harbaugh met with leaders of the team on Tuesday morning after the holiday weekend. Dart and several of the team's more prominent players including Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Andrew Thomas and Jevon Holland spoke at a team meeting afterwards.Harbaugh said he viewed the team meeting as a "great opportunity." The Giants are trying to establish a culture and this was a chance for them to deal with some adversity, which is inevitable during an NFL season. It was a players-led session."You don't want to stand up and just try to dictate some terms as a coach," Harbaugh said. "You want to find out what the players think, you know? How the coaches and players feel about it and really mainly the players because as I told them, it's your team. ... And the players established amongst themselves how they wanted to approach these kind of things. It's part of the dialogue in our society and they did a great job. I was proud of them."Carter said that Dart did not apologize for his actions. He didn't think it was necessary. He wants him to stand on what he believes.The second-year edge rusher believes he did exactly that."Some things are bigger than football, and this is one of those things," Carter said. "Jaxson is one of our leaders. He's the face of our franchise. He not only represents himself and what he does, but he represents all of us, and that goes for anybody who wears a Giants uniform. But if he chooses to align himself with a man like President Trump, it's my responsibility based on what I believe and what I stand on, to not only show my teammates that I'm against that but to show the world."And that doesn't mean that we have to spread hate. It doesn't mean that me and Jaxson hate each other or we have beef. ... I just want to move past this."It appears to have been an eye-opening experience for Dart, the second-year quarterback who was a first-round pick last year. This story has extended well beyond football.Dart spoke Friday in a rather melancholic tone. It seemed different from his usual brash delivery."I also understand in this world politics can be a sensitive matter, a sensitive topic. I also understand that I am the quarterback of the New York Giants, and that involves a lot of responsibility," Dart said. "It's under a limelight, under a microscope and there's a lot that comes with that and it's been something that I've embraced."I've loved being here...the people that I've met here. It's just been a really amazing experience, and there's not another place that I'd rather be. ... And most importantly, I can honestly say that I love every single one of my brothers, my teammates on this team regardless of politics, regardless of religious beliefs, regardless of anything that may be different between us. I love them, and they know exactly what kind of person that I am who comes into the facility every day."
