EAST RUTHERFORD - In what was their last catch as teammates before becoming NFL rookies and the offensive centerpieces of NFC East rivals, Malik Nabers and Jayden Daniels tossed around the football as they had in a remarkable record-setting journey from LSU to get to where the star tandem is today.
This was the day before the NFL Draft at the league's Play 60 football clinic at the Corner Ballpark in Detroit, and in a break during the festivities.
"We talked about sharing a moment, how special the next night was going to be for the both of us," Nabers recalled for NorthJersey.com at his locker Thursday. "So we grabbed a football and threw it around a little bit. Took the time to cherish what we were able to do together and what was next. We're brothers for life."
You see, Nabers and Daniels knew they were going to see each other again at the next level.
Barring something completely unexpected, the close friends were likely headed for different teams as pros.
And as fate would have it, the dynamic wide receiver landed with the New York Giants and his Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback the Washington Commanders , and they will now see each other not once but twice a season, the first meeting coming just two games into their NFL careers.
Nabers, 21, and Daniels, 23, will be on opposite sidelines Sunday afternoon at Northwest Stadium, the building formerly known as FedEx Field, when the Giants visit the Commanders, both in desperate need of a victory that would rid themselves of the bad taste from disappointing Week 1 losses.
"We're going to talk smack when we play on the field," Nabers said. "But off the field, it's a brotherly relationship."
A playfully proposed $10,000 bet between friends on which would win the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award unintentionally put their close friends on blast just as their careers began in the spring, so to speak, with a call to the principal's office for further education on the league's gambling policy.
They called off the bet, but the competition remains.
The LSU combination produced eye-opening statistics numbers during last season, including Daniels’ 34 touchdowns and zero interceptions on 15-plus yard passes, and Nabers’ FBS-leading 34 plays of 20-plus yards, according to Pro Football Focus.
"Two competitive people going at it, trying to push each other to get better everyday," Daniels said.
Nabers popped up on the injury report Thursday as a limited participant in practice due to a knee issue. He was in the locker room for the media interview session, and in speaking with two individuals with knowledge of the situation, the sense is that there is not much concern regarding Nabers’ status, NorthJersey.com was told.
Sounds like the Giants just cut back on the typical number of reps for Nabers due to some soreness, so this is believed to be the team being proactive with a very important player.
Nabers and Daniels speak regularly, and they have kept a group chat going with another LSU teammate and NFL rookie, Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas. They talked Tuesday night about their debuts and looked ahead to what's next.
Daniels has praised Nabers for his explosiveness and physicality.
"I have never seen the first person tackle him after he catches the ball," he said.
Nabers called Daniels "a smart quarterback, a great team leader. His running ability is great, arm talent is crazy, so I'm excited to see what he does this week."
One of the most telling scenes from "Hard Knocks" with the Giants this spring came in the pre-draft discussions between general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, among others. Daboll acknowledged that he would absolutely trade up for Daniels. The Giants, of course, wound up selecting Nabers at No. 6 overall with Daniels going four spots earlier.
The emptiness and worry regarding Daniel Jones' performance against the Vikings in Sunday's 28-6 loss now is compounded by the Giants' first encounter with Daniels and the Commanders.
There's no question the Commanders will be zeroed in with trying to take Nabers away. The Vikings had former All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore travel with Nabers from the first snap in his first game, and he finished with five catches on seven targets for 66 yards, leaving the player and the Giants wanting more despite playing all 71 offensive snaps.
Daniels completed 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards and ran 18 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns in the Commanders' loss to Tampa Bay.
“Without him, I probably wouldn’t be here right now," Nabers said of Daniels. "So having that guy as my quarterback, it took a lot of stress off me, so I took a lot of stress off him too getting open. We’re in a different space right now, but it's still the same game."
He later added: "We know what’s at stake — bragging rights between me and him."
Malik Nabers and Jayden Daniels, back together in the same stadium for the first time as pros,
Both will be looking to carry their team to victory, just from opposite sidelines for NFC East rivals on Sunday afternoon.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: From teammates to rivals: Malik Nabers, Jayden Daniels cherish bond as 'brothers for life'
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