Malik Nabers, Jayden Daniels call off $10,000 rookie of the year bet
LSU teammates Malik Nabers and Jayden Daniels made a $10,000 bet about which one would be the NFL's offensive rookie of the year. After they learned more about the NFL's gambling policies, they've called that bet off.
Nabers, who went to the Giants with the sixth overall pick in the draft, told reporters today that he has been "educated" about sports gambling and that he and Daniels have agreed that the bet is canceled. Daniels went to the Commanders with the second overall pick and is now Nabers' NFC East rival, in addition to maintaining a close bond.
It's not clear who "educated" Nabers, but reviewing the gambling policies is part of the rookie minicamp agenda league-wide, and it's safe to say the NFL is letting Nabers, Daniels and other rookies know that league gambling policies are to be taken seriously, and that the consequences aren't worth it, even for what the two of them thought was just a friendly wager.
There's a loophole in the gambling rule that arguably could have allowed Nabers and Daniels to make the bet before they were drafted. After all, before they are in the league they're not subject to the league's gambling rules. But Nabers and Daniels decided they'd rather just drop the bet than pursue that defense.
The NFL has embraced legalized gambling because it increases interest in the games, but there are real issues that gambling presents, and one of them is that players often don't know precisely what is and is not allowed. Nabers and Daniels didn't realize at the time they agreed on the bet that it could put them in hot water with the league. Now they know.
