Malik Nabers-Jayden Daniels Rookie Of Year Bet Needs To Be Walked Back To Avoid Violating NFL Gambling Policy

If Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers haven't already outright violated the NFL gambling policy before playing their first game, they've come within millimeters of the line the league set to protect the integrity of the game, according to the league's own gambling policy.

That policy reads in part, "Gambling includes commercial gambling (whether for profit, charity or anything else) that involves third parties (e.g., bookies, dealers, "the house"), as well as private wagers between teammates, family and friends, or others."

Daniels, Nabers Break NFL Policy

That means Daniels and Nabers --teammates at LSU and close friends – stumbled into a problem when they bet each other $10,000 on which would win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award for 2024.

And as a result, the NFL has a problem.

So, rather than go down the road of investigating and possibly suspending two of the top 6 players selected in last month's draft, everyone is instead hoping for an alternate solution.

The alternate solution is that the bet simply goes away. As if it never happened, and was nothing more than banter between friends.

Here's the background:

After he was selected with the No. 6 overall pick in the draft by the New York Giants, Nabers appeared on "The Pivot" podcast and said he and Daniel had bet on the ROY award.

"We got a bet going for rookie of the year," Nabers said. "Whoever lose gotta pay, I think it’s $10,000 cash."

Daniels confirmed this is true when he joined Keyshawn Johnson's "All Facts No Brakes" podcast.

"I mean, he put it out there," Daniels said of Nabers, "so it’s like I can’t say he cap, so."

Daniels Uncomfortable Bet Got Out

The interesting thing is Daniels clearly showed he was uncomfortable the bet was now public. That could be because he had a sense this bet is problematic for an incoming NFL player.

"Man, he wasn’t supposed to tell nobody," Daniels admitted. "It’s supposed to be — we got a little something going on."

That little something is going to have to stop going on.

The NFL is aware of the situation and has been monitoring it. The NFL, which declined comment to OutKick, wants nothing to do with the situation, probably because it puts everyone in a rough spot – including the league.

Why?

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 01: LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels answers questions from the media during the NFL Scouting Combine on March 1, 2024, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

They Bet Prior To Joining NFL

Because Daniels and Nabers apparently undertook their wager before the draft – certainly before anyone in the league briefed them on the gambling policy and even before they both signed their rookie contracts.

So it would be hard for the NFL to sanction the two men as NFL players in violation of a league policy when the supposed infraction occurred before either were part of the league.

The apparent solution is Daniels will be briefed on the NFL's gambling policy at the Washington Commanders rookie minicamp to which he reported Thursday and runs through the weekend. Nabers will similarly be briefed on the policy at the Giants rookie minicamp that also runs through Saturday.

And once both players are made to understand their friendly wager runs counter to the NFL gambling policy, the expectation is both will walk away from their bet. At least publicly.

Nabers, Daniels Getting Educated

Both will relate they have either rescinded the wager or it never existed as anything other than playful taunting among friends. 

At least that's the expectation.

The only issue that could make this more uncomfortable is if one or the other digs in and continues to insist the bet remains in effect. There is practically no chance that will happen.

But this should be a lesson for the NFL.

It has, until now, understandably waited to first inform rookies about the league’s gambling policy, which was updated last fall, at their teams’ rookie minicamps. 

This little episode happening before the draft and going public before minicamps should suggest to the league that training probably needs to begin earlier – maybe at the scouting combine in February. 

The league needs to somehow close the gap so it doesn't have to scurry about, as a source said was happening part of Thursday, to figure out a solution for a potential gambling policy violation.