Former LSU teammates Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers have a friendly wager for their rookie season in the league this fall.
The two players have apparently bet $10,000 between each other on who will win the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award this season. Daniels, the former Tigers quarterback who won the Heisman Trophy, went No. 2 overall in the NFL Draft last month to the Washington Commanders. Nabers, who was Daniels’ top wide receiver at LSU, went No. 6 overall to the New York Giants.
“Man, he wasn’t supposed to tell nobody,” Daniels said on the “All Facts No Breaks” podcast, via ESPN. “We got a little something going on.”
The two will undoubtedly be top candidates for the award this season. Daniels threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns last season with the Tigers during his Heisman Trophy-winning campaign. He completed a career-high 72.2% of his passes, too, and led the Tigers to a 10-3 record during Brian Kelly’s second season with the program.
Nabers racked up 1,569 receiving yards — which is roughly 41% of Daniels’ passing yards — last season with the Tigers. He caught 14 touchdowns, too, and averaged 17.6 yards per reception.
“That boy is a dog, man. He’s a true receiver,” Daniels said on the podcast. “He believes he’s always open, but he’s competitive for real. If he don’t think a defensive back can guard him, he’ll let him know. If he catches a ball, he makes a play, he’s going to let you know.
“He’s similar to Ja’Marr [Chase] just how explosive they are.”
They won’t be the only candidates for the award, however. No. 1 overall pick and new Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is by far the favorite on BetMGM to win the award this season. Daniels was listed at second, but Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy had better odds than Nabers to take home the hardware.
Will this bet actually happen?
While the bet between the two players sounds like it was made in good faith and isn’t harming anyone, it may not be allowed under the NFL’s gambling policy.
Under the league’s policy, players and all NFL personnel are prohibited from “placing, soliciting or facilitating any bet, whether directly or through a third party,” on any NFL game or league activity. That includes player props and more. Under the 2022 policy, “private wagers between teammates, family and friends, or others” was also banned. That was not included in the 2023 policy, however.
Rookies will undergo formal education on the gambling policy during rookie minicamp this week.
Considering all of the issues the NFL — and the sports world in general — has had with gambling in recent years, there’s a good chance that this wager won’t actually hold up. Regardless, Daniels and Nabers are sure to be in for a battle in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race this fall.
