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UPDATE: Nabers announced he and Daniels decided to call off the bet in question after being “educated on sports gambling” following the publication of this article
We recently learned Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers decided to make a friendly wager with each other as the former LSU teammates gear up for their first season in the NFL, but it sure looks like they violated the league’s gambling rules before taking a single snap.
The LSU Tigers had six players selected over the course of the 2024 NFL Draft, and two of those guys ended up going in the top 10. The Commanders used the second overall pick in the hopes of securing a franchise quarterback in the form of Jayden Daniels, while the Giants used the sixth selection to scoop up wide receiver Malik Nabers.
Daniels and Nabers were an incredibly dynamic duo during their time together in Baton Rouge, and it seems like they both have a pretty bright future ahead of them in the NFL.
As things currently stand, both men are near the top of the list when it comes to the favorites to secure Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Caleb Williams is the odds-on frontrunner at +210, but Daniels is listed at +900 while Nabers comes in at +1400.
Nabers revealed he and his former QB decided to make things interesting in the wake of the NFL Draft when he told The New York Daily News he’d agreed to give Daniels $10,000 if he ends up winning Rookie of the Year, and the man who will have to fork over the same amount if Nabers manages to do the same confirmed that was the case during an appearance on All Facts No Brakes.
Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers have a $10K bet on who wins OROY 👀😳@JayD__5 | @whyguard13 pic.twitter.com/DUlTz2rE7O
— All Facts No Brakes (@AllFactsPod) May 8, 2024
This is far from the first time NFL players have made a sizeable bet with each other (and it certainly won’t be the last), but the two men may have made an unforced error by publicizing the wager thanks to the rules that firmly state it’s not permitted.
The league’s gambling policy reads “All NFL Personnel are prohibited from placing, soliciting, or facilitating any bet, whether directly or through a third party, on any NFL game, practice or other events” and specifically outlaws “private wagers between teammates, family and friends, or others.”
It’s hard to imagine the NFL will bring the hammer down on Daniels and Nabers over the wager, but they’re probably going to be getting a phone call sooner rather than later.