Two top NFL Draft picks just made a possibly illegal $10,000 bet over who’s going to win rookie of the year

NFL players aren’t supposed to gamble on anything that involves the NFL and less than two weeks after the draft, two of the league’s top rookies are putting that rule to the test. 

During a recent interview on the “All Facts, No Brakes” podcast, Jayden Daniels revealed that he’s made a huge bet with his former LSU teammate, Malik Nabers, over who’s going to win NFL Offensive rookie of the year. The Commanders new quarterback, who was taken second overall in the draft, has a $10,000 bet with Nabers over who’s going to take home the award. Nabers was selected with the sixth overall pick by the New York Giants. 

When Daniels asked about the bet by host Keyshawn Johnson, he clearly wasn’t very comfortable talking about the subject. 

“Man, he wasn’t supposed to tell nobody,” Daniels said, before admitting, “We got a little something going on.”

It seems the only reason Daniels was willing to talk about it is because Nabers had previously mentioned the bet on another podcast. 

“I mean, he put it out there, so it’s like I can’t say he cap, so,” Daniels said. 

Nabers went on “The Pivot” podcast shortly after getting drafted by the Giants and revealed that he had made a bet with Daniels. 

“Going against him is gonna be fun,” Nabers said, via the New York Daily News. “We got a bet going for Rookie of the Year. Whoever loses gotta pay, I think it’s $10,000 cash.”

This could turn into a potential issue for the NFL because players aren’t supposed to be betting on anything involving the NFL. If Nabers walked into a sportsbook and bet $10,000 on himself to win rookie of the year, he would be facing a lengthy suspension, but this obviously isn’t the same as that, so it will be interesting to see how the league responds. 

The NFL gambling policy bans all personnel from betting on the NFL. 

“All NFL Personnel are prohibited from placing, soliciting, or facilitating any bet, whether directly or through a third party, on any NFL game, practice or other event (e.g., draft or combine),” the policy states. 

As recently as 2022, the gambling policy noted that this “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.”

That third part is what could potentially get the two rookies in trouble.

If you’re wondering who has the upper hand with this bet, it’s definitely Daniels, at least according to the oddsmakers.

Here’s a look at the current odds for offensive rookie of the year (via BetMGM)

• Caleb Williams: +180
• Jayden Daniels: +600
• Marvin Harrison Jr.: +650
• J.J. McCarthy: +900
• Malik Nabers: +1100

Based on these odds, Daniels would seem to be in the driver’s seat to beat Nabers and take home the $10,000. However, there’s also a chance that neither guy wins the award, which means no money would change hands. It’s also possible that the NFL could ask the duo to rescind that bet, because if the league let’s it go through, it might encourage more players to make bets like this. 

As for the rookie of the year award, Daniels will have to win the starting QB job in Washington before he can be considered a viable candidate to win it, and right now, he’s not 100% sure he’ll be the Week 1 starter. 

“Do I anticipate (starting Week 1)? I mean, I’m confident in my abilities, but that’s a decision that they’ve got to make,” Daniels told Keyshawn during the same podcast. “That’s above me.”

With Daniels on the Commanders and Nabers on the Giants, the two rookies will be facing each other twice in 2024. They’ll find out when those games will be happening when the 2024 NFL schedule is released on May 15.