The New York Giants opened the 2025 campaign with an ugly 21-6 loss at the hands of the Washington Commanders, extinguishing pretty much all of the hype that surrounded the team entering the season. In only the first game of the season, frustrations boiled over between wide receiver Malik Nabers and head coach Brian Daboll, with a heated interaction between the two quickly catching the attention of fans.
After a rough 2024 campaign, the hope was that the Giants could show some sort of improvement in 2025, but at least through one game, they appeared to be the exact same team as last season. That included tempers flaring on the sidelines, and after the game, Nabers took a second to address what went down between him and Daboll.
Malik Nabers Opens Up on Brian Daboll Confrontation
One of the bright spots from the Giants‘ aforementioned awful 2024 season was Nabers, who quickly proved to be one of the top wide receivers in the league after getting selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Despite playing in one of the worst offenses in the league, Nabers racked up 109 receptions, 1,204 yards, and seven touchdowns as a rookie, which earned him a Pro Bowl selection.
In Week 1 against the Commanders, the Giants‘ offense once again struggled, with Nabers being one of the only productive players on the field for them. Nabers caught five passes for a team-high 71 yards, which is even more impressive when considering how quarterback Russell Wilson only threw for 168 total yards.
Along the way, Nabers got into a heated conversation with Daboll on the sidelines, which was picked up on Fox’s broadcast of the game. When asked about the incident after the game, Nabers downplayed it, saying he and Daboll simply want to win and that the heat of the moment got the best of both of them.
“I said I was gonna speak up when it was time for me to speak up or just trying to get guys going, trying to get everything going,” Nabers said after the game. “I felt like we was lacking out there, the energy wasn’t right … It was two competitive people going at it. He wants to win, I want to win. I feel like that’s the reason he got me over here, because of how me and him are alike. It was two people just going at it, we trying to get the same outcome. That was really all.”
Malik Nabers, Brian Daboll Turn Attention to Giants’ Week 2 Matchup
GettyNew York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers.
The Giants have a lot of new faces in town, so there are obviously going to be some growing pains as the 2025 season unfolds. After enduring a rough 2024 campaign, though, it’s clear that Nabers does not want to go through that again, and he’s intent on doing whatever he can to help his team win, even if it results in some tough conversations being had.
It didn’t work in Week 1, but there’s still a lot of football left to be played this season. Things won’t get any easier for New York, though, as they have another tough divisional matchup on their slate in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants will look to at least put together a more competitive matchup, with kickoff for this clash being scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
Giants WR Malik Nabers Sounds Off on Heated Moment with Brian Daboll