Terrifying Malik Nabers injury turns Jaxson Dart's Giants debut into a disaster

For the first time in years, New York Giants fans entered a Sunday with some hope. Throwing Jaxson Dart into the fire against an undefeated Los Angeles Chargers team with an elite defense is quite the first test, but watching Dart, their first-round quarterback, play in a meaningful NFL game for the first time was exciting nonetheless.

For the first quarter and a half of the game, the hype was justified. Dart looked good both throwing and rushing, Cam Skattebo had made a nice impression, and the defense was containing Justin Herbert and Co. Unfortunately, all of the good vibes vanished in an instant as Malik Nabers, their prized receiver, had to be carted off the field after suffering an injury.

Any injury is bad news, but a knee injury suffered without any contact has the potential to be really bad news. Giants fans hope to avoid the worst, but given recent history, it's hard not to expect the worst.

Update: Nabers is believed to have torn his right ACL, will undergo an MRI on Monday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Malik Nabers injury turns electric day to disastrous one in an eye blink

I have no idea whether the Giants would've won this game or not with a healthy Nabers, but they certainly appeared to be in control for much of the first half. Losing Nabers just takes the air out of the team entirely.

Nabers only had two receptions for 20 yards before the injury, but make no mistake - he is their best skill position player by far, and one of the best wideouts in the NFL. Losing him would be a disastrous outcome for the Giants and Dart.

What looked like a fun day, even if it resulted in a loss, now has the potential to be one of the worst in recent memory. Have we seen the last of Nabers in 2025? All Giants fans can do is hope not.

Giants WR depth chart without Malik Nabers is incredibly underwhelming

Wan'Dale Robinson has had some big games, and Darius Slayton is a long-time Giant, but both of these wideouts are closer to third receivers than primary ones. Yet, they're the best options than the Giants have as pass catchers without Nabers, as Theo Johnson, their tight end, isn't much of a threat.

I don't know how the Giants will generate much offense if Nabers has to miss significant time. Nabers leads the team with 16 receptions, 251 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. Robinson is the only other receiver who has more than 10 receptions, 100 yards, and is the only other receiver who has a receiving touchdown.

Malik Nabers injury has Jaxson Dart in impossible position

Dart might be NFL-ready, but with a suspect offensive line, an unproven rushing attack and a Nabers-less wide receiver corps, what chance does he have to succeed, especially given the impossible schedule the Giants were given? Talk about putting your rookie in an uncomfortable position.

The Giants were never going to win many games this season, whether they started Dart or Russell Wilson, but by starting Dart, fans at least got to dream about what's to come. If Dart looked good, even in losing efforts, Giants fans could reasonably believe they finally found their franchise quarterback. Even if he had struggled, it's better to know that than watch Wilson struggle and Dart sit on the bench.

If Dart struggles without his only elite weapon, though, what do we learn? Good quarterbacks can find a way to win sometimes, even with subpar receiver rooms, but this wide receiver room and offensive unit as a whole are probably the worst in the NFL without Nabers.

All Giants fans and the Giants organization can do is hope for good news. At this point, anything that isn't season-ending feels like good news. Hopefully that's what surfaces sooner rather than later.