The New York Giants will be playing this weekend without star wide receiver Malik Nabers. The star is still in concussion protocol so Giants head coach Brian Daboll has ruled him out for Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported the news on social media.
Nabers suffered a concussion last week against the Dallas Cowboys. He assured fans after the game that he was okay but he hasn’t been able to shake it.
Concussions can linger so the Giants are playing it safe with their young star. The last thing that they want to do is have this get any worse so they are giving him more time to heal.
Losing Nabers for this game will be a big loss for the Giants. Nabers has emerged as one of the better young wide receivers around the entire NFL and has already made an impact just four games into his career.
Nabers is a true No. 1 option for New York and he has been playing lights out through the first part of the season. The former LSU product has registered 35 catches for 386 yards and two touchdowns.
But his presence within the offensive scheme is impressive, especially for a rookie. The rookie leads the NFL in receptions through the first four weeks of the year and is third in touchdown catches.
In addition, he has been targeted 52 times on the Giants’ 145 pass attempts from this season. That number sits at 35.9 percent, which is the highest in the league.
He has helped the Giants’ offense look much more polished over the last few weeks so his absence will loom large in this contest. Seattle has had one of the better pass defenses around the NFL so the Giants will need others to step up while Nabers is out.
Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images
New York will have to rely more on wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson for this game. However, Robinson has been dealing with his own injury issues, potentially complicating the Giants’ chances for this weekend.
If he can go, Robinson would become the No. 1 option in the place of Nabers. He has played well this season himself so New York should have confidence in his ability to get the job done.
New York will enter this game with a record of 1-3 while Seattle comes in at 3-1. The Giants will have to find a way to upset the Seahawks without the services of Nabers.
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