He wants the ball thrown to him more often, but Malik Nabers isn’t too concerned about how many passes he drops. In fact, the rookie wide receiver for the New York Giants admits he flat-out “doesn’t care” about drops.
Nabers made his feelings known after the Giants lost 27-20 to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Speaking to reporters, including Dan Duggan of The Athletic, Nabers said, “I don’t care about drops. I mean, it’s just part of football. I don’t care if I drop the ball six times. Keep throwing me the ball.”
It’s a surprising and contentious reaction to a genuine problem for an otherwise supremely gifted receiver. Nabers had a key drop against the Cowboys, but it was just his latest example of his inconsistent hands.
Drops Are a Problem for Malik Nabers, Giants
Nabers might be content to brush it off, but his problem with drops isn’t going away. He entered the game against the Cowboys with seven drops in nine games for a team that’s let 26 passes hit the ground this season, according to Pro Football Reference.
The sixth pick in the 2024 NFL draft added to the tally by putting the ball on the carpet at AT&T Stadium after backup quarterback Drew Lock had placed an accurate throw in between his mitts.
As ESPN’s Jordan Raanan put it, “Malik Nabers is a tremendous player. But he needs to clean up these drops.”
It’s a valid point because Nabers has too much talent to be wasting big-play opportunities over a technical flaw. He’s too fast, too strong and too elusive to fritter away so many opportunities after the catch.
Nabers also needs to be dependable if he’s going to justify status as the player who has to get the ball for the Giants. That’s what he demanded when he called the Giants “soft” and questioned his lack of targets during the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12.
The 22-year-old also hasn’t been shy about questioning head coach Brian Daboll’s play-calling, but Nabers has to merit every target he gets. Dropping multiple passes per game will make those targets unsustainable, even though Daboll did his bit to keep Nabers involved in Dallas.
Malik Nabers Got the Ball vs. Cowboys
Daboll wouldn’t take Nabers to task publicly for his outburst after the Bucs game. Instead, the coach answered the receiver’s call for greater involvement by having Lock go to Nabers early and often.
The Giants got the ball to Nabers on quick slants, screens and even handoffs. A greater emphasis on No. 1 helped Nabers finish with eight catches from 13 targets.
Those numbers helped Nabers set a new NFL record at the expense of former Giants rookie sensation Odell Beckham Jr., per Raanan: “With his fifth catch of the game, Malik Nabers just set the NFL record with his 72nd catch through 10 games. Still a half left to add to that. Nabers passed … Odell Beckham Jr. who had 71 through 10 games in 2014.”
The similarities between Nabers and OBJ are growing. Both joined the Giants after starring at LSU, and both receivers immediately dominated in the pros.
Yet both also had no trouble speaking out and airing their frustrations publicly. That tendency and other things eventually made Beckham a problem.
The Giants have to hope Nabers doesn’t go the same way.
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