The Commanders are betting on on No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels to be their franchise quarterback for a long time. The Giants have gone all in on Malik Nabers as their go-to wide receiver.
Yet the former LSU teammates turned NFC East first-rounders each made their first big rookie mistake by proposing a competitive wager of their own for the 2024 season.
Nabers suggested to host Ryan Clark on the "The Pivot" podcast that he and his former college QB had a $10,000 wager on which one of them would finish higher in the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year race, and then Daniels confirmed it to Keyshawn Johnson on the most recent "All Facts No Brakes" podcast.
Although Daniels ot that he and Nabers meant to keep their interpersonal bet a secret, now the Commanders, Giants, beat reporters, national pundits, NFL officials and everyone else were notified of its existence. Once Daniels and Nabers got educated on the NFL's gambling policy during rookie minicamp, though, both made up their minds: The bet was off.
Would the NFL have allowed Daniels and Nabers to go through such a bet? Here's a breakdown of the NFL policy, including why the rookies were likely forced into rescinding their wager.
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What is the NFL's current gambling policy for players?
NFL players are allowed to make bets, but only for non-NFL events through legal sportsbooks. Those bets also can be placed from anywhere, with the exception of any team or league facility,
Should a player bet on an NFL event, that results in a one-year suspension (see Calvin Ridley). Should a player bet on a non-NFL event but do it from a team or league facility, he is hit with a six-game suspension (see Jameson Williams).
All NFL personnel are banned from placing or facilitating an NFL-event bet that is channeled through a third party. That includes not only any wagering related to games, but also props tied to events such as the NFL Draft or Combine.
Why was the Jayden Daniels-Malik Nabers proposed bet likely illegal?
The previous version of the NFL gambling policy made it clear that private wagers would not be allowed. So there's no doubt the wager of Daniels and Nabers would have been a violation. Also, there is public betting on NFL OROY and such awards can be construed as an NFL event.
But with the "private wager" clause no longer mentioned in the policy, there was some ambiguity over whether such a bet could now be permitted.
Why could have the Jayden Daniels-Malik Nabers proposed bet been legal?
Even though Daniels and Nabers weren't making a futures wager tied to OROY and instead are making it a personal competition, their bet would have remained illegal in the eyes of the NFL.
But given Nabers and Daniels only shared information about their proposed bet via podcasts and there's no real evidence whether they would have gone through with it before the statement, there's not much the NFL could have done. There's no tangible evidence, online or on paper, to say the bet was ever unofficially official.
Also, had some parameters of the bet come up as a casual conversation between Daniels and Nabers as a way to motivate each other as draft prospects after LSU but before selected into being NFL players, there's a little uncertainty on whether it would have fallen under the league's jurisdiction.
Even after publicly calling off the bet, Nabers and Daniels could still find a way to reward each other via non-betting means, making the $10,000 more of a congratulatory gift to a friend.
Is either Daniels or Nabers a good bet to win OROY?
Per BetMGM's latest NFL futures odds on end-of-season AP awards, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick, is the favorite at +180.
Daniels is a distant second, listed at +600. Then come Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (+650) and Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy (+900), with Nabers (+1100) at fifth on the board.
Among wideouts, Nabers doesn't set up more favorably than either Harrison or the Chiefs' Xavier Worthy (+1600). Based on situation, Williams and McCarthy have more appeal in the NFC North as winners than Daniels in the NFC East.
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Who would have won the bet, Daniels or Nabers?
Since 2019, either a quarterback or wide receiver has won AP OROY. But before Ja'Marr Chase won in 2021, the award has not been WR-friendly, with Odell Beckham Jr. being the most recent previous winner at the position in 2014.
Going back 16 years to Matt Ryan in 2008, quarterbacks have taken home half (or eight) of the OROYs. Wide receivers have produced only four. Daniels is in the better situation to finish well ahead of Nabers and also push Williams.
Knowing that, Nabers might be better off with the bet now being off the table.
