Calvin Ridley walked so Malik Nabers, Jayden Daniels could run: Rookies call off wager
By Lior Lampert
Many remember when then-Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley was handed a season-long suspension for gambling on NFL games during the 2021 campaign while he was away from the team tending to mental health concerns. However, not everyone seems to have learned their lesson -- 10 players (and one coach) have been penalized for betting.
But it appears that former college teammates and now divisional rivals Malik Nabers and Jayden Daniels have quickly realized that the league is not taking its representatives wagering on games (or any sport) lightly, as evidenced by the two calling off a $10,000 bet they had between the two of them for 2024 AP NFL Rookie of the Year honors.
Malik Nabers said he’s now educated on the NFL’s gambling policy. He and his former LSU teammate Jayden Daniels called off their $10K bet for rookie of the year.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) May 10, 2024
Calvin Ridley walked so Malik Nabers and Jayden Daniels could run: Rookies call off ROTY wager
Nabers said that he and Daniels agreed to cancel their expensively friendly wager after being "educated on the NFL's gambling policy," per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.
After spending the past two seasons at LSU together and forming arguably the most dynamic quarterback-wide receiver tandem in college football, Daniels was selected with the second overall pick of the NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders to be their long-term franchise quarterback. The New York Giants took Nabers at No. 6, instantly slotting in as their primary offensive weapon following the offseason departure of two-time Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley and the lack of pass-catchers on the depth chart. So, it is reasonable for both players to think they can earn Rookie of the Year honors.
While it is understandable that the NFL is working diligently to disassociate its athletes and coaches from the sports betting realm, it is disappointing that we don't get to see a consensual head-to-head bet between two grown adults with lucrative and fully guaranteed rookie contracts. Considering the Commanders and Giants play at least twice a year, it would have been fun to see the two rookies duke it out with a personal incentive on the line.
Regardless, Ridley walked so Nabers and Daniels could run, saving the two rookies from themselves and reminding them that the $10,000 is not worth jeopardizing their careers.
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