It didn’t take long for New York Giants rookie receiver Malik Nabers to emerge as a full-fledged superstar.
By the end of the first month of his career, Nabers had found two 100-yard games and a multi-touchdown contest to boost. He established himself as the Giants' offense, leaving defenders and ancillary receivers in the dust.
Held back by minor ailments and major concerns under center, the New York faithful didn’t get the optimized version of Nabers. But they witnessed a performance worthy of a Pro Bowl nod.
After Sunday’s festivities, video of Nabers’ Pro Bowl highlights are going viral. He scored twice in the exhibition. The first came from Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who hit him short of the end zone before splitting a pair of AFC defenders and hopping into the end zone. On the latter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield rolled out right and hit Nabers as he dove to the ground, helping the NFC hit 70 points.
Between the two scores, he mossed Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick for another stunning grab.
Ultimately, his squad would come away with the win, adding to Eli Manning’s – the NFC’s Pro Bowl coach – post-playing resume.
“First Pro Bowl win under the greatest Giant, you know,” Nabers said. “Two touchdowns, all because of this guy right here.”
“Congratulations, I expect you can get a lot more,” Manning replied. “More wins to come.”
Nabers was peerless in terms of target share, stepping in and immediately becoming the focal point of the offense. He trailed only Ja’Marr Chase in targets (175 to 170). Chase won the receiving triple crown. Nabers kept pace while missing two games with a concussion.
The rookie tallied 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. He’ll join Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, and his former college teammates, Jayden Daniels and Brian Thomas Jr. as finalists for the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
His case there is ill-fated, Daniels will likely be anonymous in his victory. But from Week 1 to the Pro Bowl festivities, Nabers spent all season making good on his top-six draft capital and the skill set that got him there.
If nothing else, New York has another superstar on its hands.
