The New York Giants might have a giant problem on their hands.
Vibes were high in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday with Jaxson Dart earning his first career start. The script was quickly flipped when star receiver Malik Nabers went down with an injury late in the second quarter.
After getting the Los Angeles Chargers to jump offside, Dart fired a ball down the sideline looking for his second-year receiver. Nabers went up and promptly came down without the ball – but rather with an injury that doesn’t look so good.
Here’s the latest on Nabers.
Malik Nabers injury update
Nabers will get an MRI on Monday to determine whether his right ACL is torn, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Giants coach Brian Daboll told reporters after the game that it’s next man up.
‘Injuries happen,’ Daboll said. ‘Certainly not happy about, whether it was Malik [Nabers] or anybody else. Unfortunately this is a business of injury. I feel terrible for Malik’s injury. We’ll see where it’s at. He’s an important piece of our team, but the guys that played behind him, just like last year when Slayton went in … everybody gets paid to do a job and next man up.’
Daboll announced before the second half of the team’s game against the Chargers that Nabers had been ruled out for the remainder of the contest because of his injury.
The coach did not provide additional information about Nabers’ injury, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report the team believes the second-year wide-out suffered a torn ACL.
Nabers was carted off the field with 6:12 remaining in the second quarter.
The receiver’s knee buckled as he went up for a pass and he went down in a heap of pain. Cameras showed Nabers looking visibly upset and he exited right away.
Losing Nabers would undoubtedly be a significant hit to a Giants offense that appeared to be hitting its stride on Sunday. The insertion of Dart into the lineup appeared to energize the team.
Nabers is the best player that Brian Daboll’s team has on offense, but his injury and potential absence extends far beyond that.
New York’s season is all about Dart’s development now, which becomes more difficult without his WR1.
Giants WR depth chart
Nabers is irreplaceable for the Giants, especially with their depth chart. Here’s what they would have to work with without the star receiver:
Malik Nabers (injured)
Wan’Dale Robinson
Darius Slayton
Jalin Hyatt
Beaux Collins
Gunner Olszewski
Robinson has emerged as a reliable target in the Giants’ passing attack, while Slayton and Hyatt can stretch the field. However, no one is as dynamic a playmaker as Nabers is, meaning this would have to be a committee approach to replace him.
This story will be updated.