Malik Nabers makes feelings known after Giants' decision to bench Daniel Jones
Malik Nabers shared his thoughts on the New York Giants demoting Daniel Jones to QB3 after an underwhelming 2024 NFL season. The rookie wide receiver was drafted with the hope of providing Jones a weapon to unlock another level of performance.
While Nabers made some interesting plays, Jones didn't improve, prompting Brian Daboll to bench him ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup. Talking about this decision on Thursday, Nabers said that he only expects to get the ball regardless of who's under center.
"I don't want anything. I want the ball," Nabers told reporters. "As long as you can get me the ball, we're good."
He was asked about any concerns regarding the uncertainty of the Giants quarterback position, which hasn't been consistent since Eli Manning retired.
Malik Nabers was drafted as the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft while some wanted to see a new quarterback join the Big Blue. He's done more than a decent job as the WR1, but many believe he would be better off getting passes from anybody not named Daniel Jones.
Daboll named Tommy DeVito, who was a sensation around the league last season, as the starter against the Buccaneers. Drew Lock, who joined the team from the Seahawks in the offseason, will be the backup for this matchup.
Daniel Jones' teammates frustrated with how Giants have handled his situation
Shortly after the news about Daniel Jones' benching, some of his teammates weren't happy with the decision. NFL insider Jordan Shultz shared the reactions of a couple of stars such as defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence.
"He’s the QB1. To me, he’s the best quarterback on the team," Lawrence said on Tuesday.
An offensive player accused the Giants of making this decision based on money.
"We’re not idiots. They did it because of money. So be it. But Daniel has been all class, never complained, and is now being completely disregarded. The TEAM record is bad. You can point fingers everywhere. To try to blame him is trash, and making him third string is weak as fu**.”
The Giants rank fourth in the NFC East standings with a 2-8 record. They weren't considered Super Bowl contenders ahead of this season, but many imagined they would boast would play better at this point in the season.