The now-defunct Offensive Rookie of the Year bet between Malik Nabers and Jayden Daniels resulted in the pair of star draft picks — by the Giants at No. 6 and the Commanders at No. 2, respectively — undergoing “multiple” training sessions about the NFL’s gambling policy, according to the Washington Post.
Their wager was for $10,000, but the former LSU teammates called off the bet in May shortly after Nabers first mentioned it during a podcast appearance.
“They rescinded that bet,” NFL executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy Jeff Miller told reporters, according to the Washington Post. “The league addressed the matter directly with the NFL Players Association, with the two teams and with the two players to ensure that they understood the policy. They received multiple education training sessions since that time. And … as a result of all the work that went into it, I think we’re comfortable with the resolution.”
The league implemented gambling training as a mandatory requirement for all of its players ahead of the 2024 season, the outlet reported, and the bet between Nabers and Daniels also occurred at a critical juncture of the NFL’s complicated relationship — with 10 NFL players suspended for a variety of lengths in 2023.
“The world has changed dramatically as it related to sports betting,” Miller told reporters, according to the Washington Post. “And it’s incumbent on us to maintain the integrity of our game against those new challenges that have come up the last few years.”
When the bet was initially mentioned to Daniels on a podcast appearance, his answer included, “Man, he wasn’t supposed to tell nobody” before adding that “we got a little something going on.”
Then, following his first rookie minicamp practice with the Giants in May, Nabers addressed the wager and said that he was “educated now” about sports betting.
“It was just another brother pushing another brother to try to get the most success,” Nabers said at the time.
Daniels will open the season as the Commanders’ starting quarterback, while Nabers has positioned himself to fill a significant role within the Giants’ offense in 2024 as Daniel Jones’ top target.
He had an injury scare earlier in training camp with a minor ankle sprain, but Nabers returned and played in the Giants’ game against the Texans on Saturday, catching four passes for 54 yards — on six targets — in their 28-10 loss.
