Upgrading at quarterback was the top priority for the New York Giants entering this offseason. Not only did they need to secure a youngster for the future, but general manager Joe Schoen needed to find a veteran arm who could make an impact immediately.
That veteran wound up being Russell Wilson, the 10-time Pro Bowl selection and future Hall of Fame talent.
But the Giants faced competition for Wilson. He had meetings with the Cleveland Browns and was weighing the possibility of re-signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Ultimately, Wilson decided that he wanted to be in the Big Apple, and “superstar” wide receiver Malik Nabers played a big role in convincing Wilson of his next destination.
Malik Nabers helped convince Russell Wilson to join the Giants
Wilson recently made an appearance on the 7PM In Brooklyn podcast, where he discussed his hectic offense and the factors that ultimately led him to choose the New York Giants as his next team.
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He referred to Nabers as a “superstar,” citing the second-year playmaker as one of his top reasons for picking the Big Apple.
“I just turned on the film and watching this guy Malik Nabers, man, this dude’s a superstar,” Wilson said to Carmelo Anthony. “I saw him, I was watching the film and just before I tried to make decisions, try to get a clear understanding of who the players are, this and that, and obviously you see the highlights and everything else, but when you watch every single catch and every single rep and every play, you get to see the kind of player he is, man, he’s dynamic. He touches that football, he gone.”
In 2024, Nabers burst onto the scene as a rookie, totaling 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns.
Just one season into his NFL career and Nabers is already viewed among the top wide receivers in the league.
Wilson and Nabers could be a special duo
The pairing of Nabers and Wilson could be special. Nabers has the speed and explosiveness to be an elite deep receiving threat, as he was in college.
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) catches a pass in the air while being guarded by Indianapolis Colts defensive back Kenny Moore II (23) during a game between New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024.
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Nabers totaled 624 deep-receiving yards (third-most in the 2023 draft class) and nine touchdowns on 20+ yard targets in 2023, hauling in 19 of his 29 targets.
Last season, however, the majority of his yardage came on short and intermediate targets. He received 29 targets 20+ yards downfield, but hauled in only seven receptions (only 24.1%) for 216 yards and two touchdowns.
Wilson could help Nabers maximize this portion of his game, utilizing his patented deep ball that helped him built such a stellar career resume. Wilson was the NFL’s highest-graded quarterback on deep passing last season, per PFF.
The Giants’ offense is building to be more explosive this season. The Nabers-Wilson combo could bring that idea to fruition.
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