BREAKING: Malik Nabers Sends Clear Message to Giants About QB Preference

The New York Giants’ leadership has little room for error after a series of costly decisions. The team chose to give quarterback Daniel Jones a $160 million extension instead of securing running back Saquon Barkley on a long-term deal. As a result, Barkley is now thriving with the rival Philadelphia Eagles, who are set to appear in their second Super Bowl in three years—largely thanks to his contributions—while Jones is headed for free agency after being cut midway through the first season of his new contract. The Giants salvaged some of the situation by selecting standout wide receiver Malik Nabers with the No. 6 pick last year and now have the opportunity to pair him with a top quarterback in the 2025 draft, holding the No. 3 overall pick.

However, landing a top QB isn’t guaranteed, as both the Tennessee Titans (No. 1) and Cleveland Browns (No. 2) also need franchise signal-callers, making it possible that Cam Ward (Miami) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) will be off the board before New York picks. Regardless, the Giants must get their quarterback decision right, or general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll could be out of a job next offseason. The team will have to weigh draft prospects against free-agent options while also considering how to support Nabers, who made his stance on the situation clear on Wednesday, Feb. 5.

 

 

“I would want to have a vet in there,” Nabers told Pro Football Talk Live. “If we decide to pick a rookie, in my eye I would want a vet to be in that same room with that rookie, teaching him some stuff so when he’s out there, he’s not just out there in his head [thinking] he has to be the savior of this team. That’s a lot to put on a rookie.” His perspective is reasonable, though it could create an early-season quarterback controversy. That might not be a bad thing, as bringing in a veteran like Justin Fields or Kirk Cousins—assuming he hits free agency in March—on a one-year deal could provide the Giants with flexibility and allow a rookie quarterback to develop at a more measured pace.