For those following the early stages of New York Giants training camp, it’s no surprise to see the connection already forming between second-year wide receiver Malik Nabers and his new quarterback, veteran Russell Wilson.
During the first few weeks, we saw how quickly the pair developed their bond on the field, with Wilson targeting Nabers as frequently as possible whenever he was out there. While training camp stats aren’t exactly official record material, the rapport between the two was hard to miss. Just as noticeable was how highly each spoke of the other.
While Wilson raves about his new favorite wide receiver, the 22-year-old continues to talk highly of Wilson’s play and especially how he finds ways to get him the football on the field.
"He's put the ball in some crazy spots that I thought would never get to me...the moonball, it's easy to catch - he puts it right in the bucket," Nabers told SNY.
Malik Nabers already looks right at home with Russell Wilson
A year ago, Nabers, who finished fifth in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, put together one of the best seasons a Giants wide receiver has had in quite some time, hauling in 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns.
And he did it during a brutal 3-14 season, one where New York had arguably one of the worst quarterback rooms in the league, a group that’s now completely turned over after major upgrades this offseason.
Part of those upgrades included signing future Hall of Famer Russell Wilson to a one-year deal to help stabilize the struggling franchise. Based on the stat sheet alone, Wilson is clearly an upgrade over what the Giants had under center last season, and the team is hoping his experience and steady play will rub off on a young offense still finding its identity.
One of the things that jumps out from Nabers’ rookie season was the sheer volume of targets, 170 in total. While he hauled in 109 of them (the second-most ever by an NFL rookie receiver), it’s fair to wonder how many more receptions he might’ve had with better quarterback play. Of those 61 incompletions, how many could have been catches if someone like Russ had been throwing him the football?
The signing of Wilson and his ability to consistently get the ball to his receivers, especially Nabers, is exactly why there’s so much excitement on the Giants’ side heading into 2025. It’s also why Nabers himself is fired up for the season. At times, he’s looked completely unguardable with how effortlessly he’s been able to get to the football.
Just imagine how much more unstoppable Nabers could be with the improved quarterback play he’s expected to have heading into the 2025 season.