Malik Nabers Shows Maturity After Rough Joint Practice With Jets, QB Daniel Jones Gets Trashed Again

The Giants and the Jets concluded their final joint practice of the preseason this Wednesday, and like last year, the Green Gang came out on top. The Jets’ secondary held its own while the offense balled out — something that CB Sauce Gardner couldn’t help but celebrate by taunting their MetLife Stadium co-tenants.

However, Giants rookie Malik Nabers didn’t take issue with the trash-talking, believing their opponents had earned the right to boast. “They can do that. I mean, they won on the day,” the wideout told the New York Daily News following their less-than-impressive showing.

Nabers also noted that the Jets’ secondary did its job well, executing what was expected of them, while the Giants simply fell short: “Their defense came out, executed well. We beat ourselves today.”

So, what exactly did Gardner do, and what led to it? Jets QB Aaron Rodgers tallied four passing touchdowns during the joint practice and was close to adding another until tight end Jeremy Ruckert dropped the pigskin over the middle in the end zone.

But that wasn’t all. Tight end Jeremy Ruckert later caught a breathtaking deep ball from backup QB Tyrod Taylor, adding six more points to their tally. This is when Gardner walked onto the field and waved goodbye to their opponents — fully aware that the Giants’ defense was no match for the Jets.

With that being said, Nabers’ humble response caught the attention of many, with fans praising the rookie for his humility. However, some also quipped that the wideout already has the Giants’ patented response — “they were better today” — ready to use in the coming years.

Several netizens even took shots at Nabers’ QB Daniel Jones, whom they believe to be the root cause of the team’s struggles. See for yourselves:

However, not all ended in trash talk and jibes for the Giants, as Gardner himself couldn’t help but shower praise on Nabers — clearly impressed by his mettle.

Gardner lauds Nabers but is at a loss for words for Daniel Jones

After the joint practice, Gardner told ESPN that Nabers had displayed exactly what was expected of a player coming out of Baton Rouge. The star cornerback praised Nabers for his quick feet and noted that he effortlessly created separation from defenders. Gardner even predicted that the rookie wideout would make a name for himself in the big league, saying,

“I know this might sound kind of weird, but he reminds me of an LSU receiver, a little Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson.”

“I’m not going to compare him to anybody because at the end of the day, he’s Malik, but those are two guys he reminds me of a little bit. He’s going to be a really good player,” Gardner continued.

However, when it came time for the CB to say a few words about his opposing QB, Gardner struggled to find the right words. “Uh, he’s uh, he’s uh, he’s uh good quarterback, you feel me?” he said of Jones.

Gardner did eventually add that he was close to intercepting one of Jones’ passes; however, the sixth-year QB decided to run with the ball, foiling his plan.