The Week 4 clash between the New York Giants and the Los Angeles Chargers didn’t go as the Big Blue had hoped. The Giants won 21-18, but at what cost? Late in the second quarter, rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart fired a deep dart along the sideline targeting star wide receiver Malik Nabers. Nabers went airborne in an attempt to catch the ball, but ended up with an injury that has now put his season in jeopardy.

The view of Malik Nabers being carted out of the field was enough to shake the MetLife crowd into silence. The expectations of a season full of highlight reels between Dart and Nabers are probably gone. Ian Rapoport confirmed the injury that everyone was afraid to think about: “Giants WR Malik Nabers is believed to have torn his ACL, per me and @TomPelissero. A crushing blow.” But the revelation from Deepak Chona—renowned injury analyst—was equally jarring.

As worries flooded the socials, Deepak Chona broke down Naber’s injury film and weighed in with his expert take. “Nabers does look like an ACL tear. His foot is planted in the turf, the knee twists inwards and bends, and then you see him grab it as he’s going up. All signs point towards an ACL tear.” Chona then followed up with a grim return timeline for Nabers: 10 months. “The average return timeline is about 10 months, and with that, most players are able to recover their performance. It usually does take about a year and a half for him to get all the way back to where he was, but we would expect him to eventually get back.” And with that update, Nabers’ 2025 season promise feels destined to go unfulfilled.

Chona also notes the risk that comes for the players on the artificial turf. “The artificial turf does play a role in this because the foot is more planted in the firm turf and therefore there’s a greater torque on the knee, so it does increase the ACL tear risk.” MetLife’s turf in Week 4 has also seen Chargers’ left tackle Joe Alt carted off with an ankle injury. Even Jaxson Dart had a concussion scare, and veteran backup Russell Wilson briefly took the helm. But Dart was eventually cleared and returned to the game.

The MetLife Stadium’s turf has seen a wave of major injuries over recent years. Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles at MetLife back in the 2023 season. The same injury for Jaelen Phillips in 2023. At least 16 other stars have faced horrible injuries here since 2021, with a majority of them being ACL tears. Following Malik Nabers’ injury, many fans took to socials to share their disappointment with the stadium and its history of sidelining premium talents. But most of all, it’s the prayers for Nabers that have taken center stage.

NFL community rallies behind Malik Nabers after his injury

The Giants got their first win of the season. But with Malik Nabers’ injury, the Big Blue faithful couldn’t help feeling bittersweet. One fan captured this sentiment perfectly, writing: “Yes!!! Finally a Sunday where I’m not depressed!! Prayers up for Malik Nabers! 🙏🏾💪🏾” Another fan looked at the bad luck the Giants have been having with injuries and shared their prayers. “Prayers up for Malik Nabers man, the Giants just don’t get a break 😵‍💫” And this was just the beginning.

Highlighting the brutal loss for the Giants’ offensive firepower, one fan added a heartfelt comment. “Prayers up for Malik Nabers, he’s so talented & this is nothing short of a devastating blow. Hopefully his recovery process goes smoothly and he’ll be back and better than ever next season. My heart hurts for him 💔” The fans also took shots at the MetLife turf which has added Joe Alt to the list of injured along with Nabers. “MetLife has to get rid of that turf. Prayers up for Malik Nabers 🙏🏾🙏🏾”. Another added a similar sentiment of heartbreak with, “MetLife stadium turf claims another victim 💔Prayers for Malik Nabers” 

As the Giants now look forward to getting another win against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. But their offensive blueprint will have to be redrawn without Nabers now. While we wait for the official injury verdict, we can only hope that Nabers’ injury isn’t as bad as it looked. Once the team shares a return timeline, we’ll know how the Giants plan to pivot with their star receiver from here on out.