Report: Phil Simms was "outvoted by his family" on letting Abdul Carter wear No. 11

Phil Simms was willing to let Abdul Carter wear No. 11 for the Giants. Those closest to Simms were not.

Simms told Gary Myers on Friday night that he was "outvoted by his family" on the question of whether his retired jersey should be unretired.

During a Friday appearance on FanDuel TV, Simms said he personally would have no problem with Carter wearing No. 11.

Retirement of a number is the highest honor any team can bestow on a former player. Allowing the jersey to be unretired undermines that distinction.

And so, while the former player might be willing to be magnanimous (or unwilling to come off as selfish), his family can become an important voice in making the final decision.

Simms's number was and is retired. That should be the end of it. That's how it should be for all retired numbers. Otherwise, why retire numbers?

As former Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor told Carter when declining to allow his No. 56 to be worn, Carter needs to make his own way with his own number. Really, if Carter has a truly special career, what happens when he retires? Would No. 11 then co-retired for Simms and Carter?

A number is just that. It's an objective identifier of a player, which makes it easier for officials to officiate and for spectators to spectate. But when a player has performed so well in that number to prompt his team to decide to set aside for good, it should be set aside for good.

Carter will pick another number. And if he becomes a great player in the NFL, that's the number for which he'll be known. In time, the Giants could be hosting a prime-time game featuring the same kind of halftime ceremony that both Taylor and Simms earned.

Carter's goal should now be to find a number that currently means nothing to the Giants. And then to make it mean everything.