Everyone had same joke about Malik Nabers calling off bet after first Giants practice

Everyone has seen this story before: A talented LSU wide receiver who makes one-handed catches look ordinary gets drafted by the New York Giants. For the next four years, he is asked to rescue passes and turn would-be interceptions into receptions.

The Giants had an opportunity to select a rookie quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, but doing so would have meant admitting that it was a mistake to sign quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract prior to the 2023 season. Instead, the Giants selected LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers with the No. 6 overall pick.

During an appearance on "The Pivot" podcast, Nabers revealed that he made a $10,000 bet with former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels on which one of them would be named 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Fans believe Malik Nabers is already unhappy with Daniel Jones

Nabers told reporters on Friday that the wager was nullified after he learned more about the league's gambling policy.

"I’m educated now that I got here about sports betting and gambling," Nabers said. "We’re calling the bet off. There is no bet now. It was just another brother pushing another brother to try to get to success. That’s all it was."

The NFL prohibits players "from placing, soliciting, or facilitating any bet, whether directly or through a third party, on any NFL game, practice or other event." In 2022, the policy banned "private wagers between teammates, family and friends, or others," although that language was not included in the 2023 policy.

It's entirely plausible that Nabers is telling the truth since rookies typically begin mini-camp with orientation sessions that review the league's gambling policy. But fans, of course, have a different theory: Nabers just happened to remember that his quarterback is Daniel Jones.

No Giants wide receiver has tallied more than 800 receiving yards since Jones became the starting quarterback in New York. Nabers had consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons after Daniels transferred to LSU in 2022. The last Giants wide receiver to top 1,000 receiving yards was, coincidentally, Odell Beckham Jr. in 2018.

Few people seem to have faith in Jones after the 2023 season. The Athletic's Mike Sando said that Nabers "can't save" Jones and NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah believes that backup quarterback Drew Lock could even beat out Jones in training camp, per Bleacher Report.

It's easy to assume that Nabers, or any other wide receiver, would prefer to avoid the Giants offense. Nabers didn't help his case when he deflected a question about his opinion on Jones as a quarterback.

"I'll just wait until I get here to see all that," Nabers said after being drafted.

Nabers hasn't actually practiced with Jones yet, so it's unlikely that the cancellation of the bet had anything to do with the teams. While Nabers may come to despise his quarterback in the season ahead, Jones hasn't hindered the rookie's production just yet.

It's unlikely that Nabers will be able to win rookie honors over Daniels. No position in football is more dependent on another player's performance as wide receiver. Savvy route running can't help if a quarterback can't deliver the ball with rhythm and accuracy. Even Randy Moss, whose career was being buried by the Oakland Raiders in 2006, had a premature eulogy written for his career before he was traded to the New England Patriots.