Abdul Carter injury update: Adam Schefter reveals major change in Penn State star's recovery

ESPN insider Adam Schefter revealed potential Top 2 pick Abdul Carter‘s medical recheck in Indianapolis on Thursday showed the stress reaction in his foot “should be a non-factor” and won’t require surgery to repair, according to NFL superagent Drew Rosenhaus.

“It should be a non-factor with the teams at this point,” Rosenhaus, Carter’s agent, told Schefter.

Abdul Carter’s medical recheck in Indianapolis today showed that the stress reaction in his foot is healing, there has been improvement and no surgery will be needed, per his agent Drew Rosenhaus. “It should be a non-factor with the teams at this point,” Rosenhaus said. pic.twitter.com/0pWOiC19Ou

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 10, 2025

Carter was initially diagnosed with a “stress reaction” in one of his feet by NFL medical personnel during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in February. But after initially contemplating surgery, Carter and his representation announced he would forego that option and hope it heals on its own. Turns out that gamble paid off.

Last month, Carter also sat out Penn State‘s Pro Day event while still recovering from a nagging shoulder injury suffered in the Nittany Lions’ College Football Playoff quarterfinal Dec. 31 against Boise State.

Regardless of his injury situation, Carter has long been a favorite to be among the first few picks in the 2025 NFL Draft later this month, including drawing some interest at No. 1 overall. But recent buzz has the Tennessee Titans taking a quarterback with the top pick, meaning Carter would be a highly-desired option for almost every other team in Top 5. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Carter led the nation with 23.5 tackles for loss along with 68 total tackles and 12.0 sacks while helping Penn State to a national semifinal.

Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry speaks out about Abdul Carter foot injury

The Cleveland Browns have a fascinating decision to make as owners of the No. 2 overall pick in late April’s 2025 NFL Draft.

With Miami quarterback Cam Ward widely expected to be taken No. 1 overall by the Tennessee Titans, the Browns will have their pick of generational blue-chip prospects like Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter or Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter, among others. 

And while the Browns inked Myles Garrett to a gigantic extension earlier this offseason, the idea of adding Carter to the fold at No. 2 to create a phenomenal pass-rushing tandem in Cleveland remains an intriguing option for general manager Andrew Berry.

However, an injury Carter has been dealing with — a stress reaction in his foot — has thrown a wrench into things, and many are wondering if it could scare off some of the prospective teams in the top five.

Fear not, Browns fans. According to ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi, Berry is far from concerned about the ailment.

“Not going to be prohibitive to a long, successful career,” Berry proclaimed.

— On3’s Steve Samra contributed to this report.