Sunday was a bittersweet day for the New York Giants. Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart made the first start of his career, and looked promising against the Los Angeles Chargers, as the team won its first game of the year. However, star receiver Malik Nabers also left the game early with what's feared to be a torn ACL.
Following the game, as Giants players left the field excited about the win, their moods quickly shifted as they learned about the severity of Nabers injury. With the wide receiver’s teammates expressing their thoughts for him, Dart added that he’s praying for Nabers, and that he’s quickly going to give Nabers a call.
Jaxson Dart says he will be one of the first phone calls to Malik 🙏 pic.twitter.com/4REQW73UDl
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) September 28, 2025
Jaxson Dart making sure to check in on Malik Nabers following knee injury
Nabers’ injury unfortunately happened on a savvy play from the rookie quarterback. After a Chargers defender jumped offside, Dart threw up a deep jump ball to his No. 1 receiver. Nabers looked like he was on his way to making another impressive catch, but after jumping in the air, he fell to the ground and immediately grabbed his right knee.
The receiver won’t officially have an MRI until Monday morning, but the expectation is a torn ACL, sidelining the receiver for the year. Not only would that be terrible for Nabers, it would be bad news for the NFL, as the receiver is one of the game’s most exciting young stars. After an impressive rookie season, everyone was excited to see how he would follow up. With 18 receptions for 271 yards and two touchdowns, he was well on his way to anther good season.
Being without Nabers is also a huge loss for Dart and the Giants. He was undoubtedly the team’s No. 1 receiver, and a big part of what New York does offensively. Without him in the lineup, things get tougher for rookie Jaxson Dart, who no longer has a top wideout to lean on.