Giants Weigh Trade for Jets’ Allen Lazard After Malik Nabers’ Injury at MetLife Stadium

In Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season, the New York Giants made a quarterback change, benching Russell Wilson and handing the starting job to rookie Jaxson Dart. On Sunday, September 28, at MetLife Stadium, the Giants defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 21–18. During the game, wide receiver Malik Nabers went down with a non-contact knee injury. Trainers evaluated his left knee on the field before carting him off, and initial reports stated it was feared to be a torn ACL. On Monday, September 29, an MRI confirmed Nabers tore his right ACL. Reuters reported that the injury ended his season. Nabers entered Week 4 as the Giants’ leader in receptions with 16, receiving yards with 251, and touchdowns with two.

The injury left the Giants searching for a replacement wide receiver. Lorenzo Reyna of ClutchPoints suggested the Giants could look to the New York Jets and identified Allen Lazard as a possible target.

Reyna wrote that “Nabers left with what looks like a torn ACL. This leaves head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen scrambling for an emergency wide receiver amid the latest big NFL injury. The list of available free agents is diluted. New York looks like it can swing for a swap ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline in November. There are intriguing names out there amid their own current situations — including one Super Bowl winner. Finally, the franchise can attempt to make a New York-New York deal in going after Allen Lazard. He’s in the final year of his own contract with the Jets. Lazard’s Jets experience has been subpar, so switching NY teams looks appealing.”

On September 21, Lazard scored a touchdown for the Jets against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Kim Klement Neitzel of Imagn Images photographed Lazard being congratulated after the play. Reports noted that Lazard has not been receiving significant attention on offense and has been left off the roster when the Jets’ group is fully healthy.

Nabers’ injury also renewed criticism of MetLife Stadium’s playing surface. NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported, “Giants WR Malik Nabers is believed to have torn his ACL, per me and Tom Pelissero. A crushing blow.” CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones stated on air, “It is well known around the league that the stadium turf where the Jets and Giants play is among the worst in the NFL. When you see this sort of non-contact injury, when you go up for a ball and your knee is not supposed to just give out, it certainly looks poor. Players absolutely hate that turf.”

MetLife Stadium replaced its turf in 2023 with a new synthetic surface. Despite the change, concerns continued. Previous injuries on the field included ACL tears for Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas in 2020, an ACL tear for Kyle Fuller in 2022, and knee injuries for Sterling Shepard and Wan’Dale Robinson. Jabrill Peppers also suffered an injury at the venue. In 2023, quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon in his first game with the Jets at MetLife Stadium.

Fans criticized Jets owner Woody Johnson and Giants owner John Mara after Nabers’ injury. One post read, “It’s on Woody Johnson and John Mara to fix this.”

It’s on Woody Johnson and John Mara to fix this https://t.co/aiTH98Mcrn

— Matt O’Leary (@MattOLearyNY) September 29, 2025

Another stated, “Every single season this is ground zero for non-contact injuries and they refuse to do anything about it despite multitudes of evidence.”

Unironically, I mean this with incredible seriousness, John Mara and Woody Johnson need to answer for this godforsaken stadium. Every single season this is ground zero for non contact injuries and they refuse to do anything about it despite multitudes of evidence.

— dougie time (@GorillerGotShot) September 28, 2025

A third said, “NFL players deserve hazard pay if they play at MetLife. This is disgraceful. Woody Johnson and John Mara are costing players years of their career for the sake of saving money on maintenance.”

NFL players deserve hazard pay if they play at MetLife

This is disgraceful

Woody Johnson and John Mara are costing players years of their career for the sake of saving money on maintenance

— Cam (@TheCamMoore) September 28, 2025

Sportsbooks reacted immediately to Nabers’ confirmed ACL tear. For the Giants’ Week 5 game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome, FanDuel listed New York as 1.5-point favorites with a total of 41.5. Covers reported consensus odds of Giants -1.5, moneyline Giants -126 and Saints +108, and total 41.5. BetMGM briefly listed the Saints as 1 to 1.5-point favorites. The SuperBook in Las Vegas opened the Giants -1.5 and moved to -2 on September 28. ESPN Analytics gave the Saints a 54 percent chance to win.

Futures markets shifted as well. FanDuel listed the Giants at +8000 to win the NFC East and +40000 to win Super Bowl LX. DraftKings adjusted Offensive Player of the Year odds after Nabers’ injury, with Puka Nacua at +300 and Jonathan Taylor at +450. The Action Network recommended betting the under at 42.5 points on DraftKings. Reports noted Nabers’ player props were removed from boards and that attention turned to Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Theo Johnson.