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Giants WR Malik Nabers Shows His Grit in Tough Times

Nabers continues to fight through injuries as he tries to contribute to the Giants' solution moving forward.

Patricia Traina

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) runs with the ball, as New Orleans Saints safety Ugo Amadi (0) tries to catch him, Sunday, December 8, 2024.
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) runs with the ball, as New Orleans Saints safety Ugo Amadi (0) tries to catch him, Sunday, December 8, 2024. / Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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 New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers is hurting thanks to groin and hip issues.

But don’t expect the Giants first-round pick from this year to use that as an excuse to mail it in on what’s a lost season for Big Blue.

“I’m trying to do that, trying to show my grit, trying to show my dog mentality to go out there and keep playing, being hurt or not,” Nabers said.

He’s done what he can in playing in a badly broken offense, and it will take nothing short of a miracle to fix it this season so that the team has any chance of salvaging even one of its remaining three games.

In this week’s 35-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Nabers was targeted 14 times, catching ten balls for 82 yards and one touchdown, a 23-yard strike thrown by backup quarterback Tim Boyle, who was pressed into action when starter Tommy DeVito was diagnosed with a concussion just before halftime.

Nabers was also on the receiving end of several deep balls Boyle threw, including the 23-yard touchdown, his longest reception of the day. He also had catches of 14 and 16 yards.

“He's one of those special players. You just got to throw it up to him and let him do his thing. You always know where number one is on the field,” Boyle said after the game. 

“He's in the back of your mind as a quarterback. If stuff is hitting the fence a little bit, you’ve got to throw it up to number one. I'm glad he made the catch. I threw a couple of balls at him today that kind of got away from me a little bit, but he made wonderful adjustments. It just goes to show how special a player he is. We’ve got to continue to get him the ball.”

The adjustments and the plays made by the ailing rookie weren’t enough to help his team out of a jam, and the frustration of having to speak after a loss was clear as day on Nabers’ face. 

Nabers, who enjoyed two winning seasons at LSU, said he’s dealt with losing campaigns before and that it’s taught him that it’s important to be patient and ensure you have all the right pieces in place to have a winning program.

And what are those missing pieces that are holding the Giants back? 

“I’m not sure,” he said, adding, “I’m sure upstairs will do a great job trying to find the missing pieces. So I’m gonna leave them to do that.”

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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