When New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers starts extension talks, it won’t be a matter of if he gets paid, it’ll be a matter of how much. In theory, talks can begin as soon as next offseason. Players are eligible for extensions after their third year in the league.
It's a good thing the Giants hired Dawn Aponte as their new senior vice president of football operations and strategy this offseason. She'll be responsible for strategic planning for football operations, analytics, salary cap management, and player contract negotiations. Get ready to learn Leek.
The 22-year-old star wideout is expected to command a considerable raise from his current four-year, $29 million rookie contract. Heck, there's a chance he nearly doubles that number annually with his new deal if the next wave of market resetters continues to make their contracts look more like Monopoly money.
In their latest article on what ascending players will get for their next contracts, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox sees Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba getting four-year deals worth $153 million and $152 million, respectively. Neither contract would surpass Ja'Marr Chase's four-year, $161 million deal he signed last offseason, but it's clear teams will have to pay top dollar to keep their best skill players on the roster.
One can only wonder how much more Nabers will command when his time comes to negotiate.
Malik Nabers is putting the Giants in position to write a very big check
As good as Nacua and Smith-Njigba have been over the past three seasons, Nabers' rookie season -- and first three games of his second season -- suggest he'll be next in line to reset the receiver market when it's time.
Here's how each of their rookie seasons played out:
Malik Nabers | Puka Nacua | Jaxon Smith-Njigba | |
|---|---|---|---|
Receptions | 109 | 105 | 63 |
Yards | 1,204 | 1,486 | 628 |
Touchdowns | 7 | 6 | 4 |
An ACL injury that cost him 14 games in 2025 will definitely play a factor in future negotiations, but if he comes back and takes over as the undisputed WR1 again in Year 3, the $150 million range won’t sound crazy at all.
All signs point to a Week 1 return for Nabers. He recently posted pictures to his Instagram account showing off his workouts and rehab process. Photos only tell you so much, but people don’t usually post that kind of stuff unless things are moving in the right direction.
With Wan'Dale Robinson heading to free agency and looking for an expensive deal of his own, there's a chance Big Blue lets him walk. That leaves a lot more targets for Nabers, meaning he could be in for another big season. And if he's able to pick up where he left off, the countdown to a monster extension officially begins.