The New York Giants may have gotten their first win of the 2025 season on Sunday, but it came with a major expense to their star wide receiver, Malik Nabers. The second-year pro was injured during the second quarter in Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers and carted off the field with what was initially believed to be a knee injury.
The Giants’ worst nightmare came true: Nabers suffered a season-ending torn ACL. It’s not the first time a player has suffered a significant injury on a turf field, specifically at MetLife Stadium. Former Giants star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. took to social media to plead with the NFL about getting rid of turf fields.
Dear @NFL , I mean this with the upmost love and respect. We (The NFL) take all The precautions in the world with EVERYthing else when it comes to players “health” and “safety”. PLZ. PLZ. PLZ. GET RID OF THE 🤬 TURF. Thank You in advance. LUV
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) September 29, 2025
Whether the NFL will act on eliminating turf fields remains to be seen, but the Giants must find a replacement for Nabers in the meantime. Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton are the team’s next two leading receivers, a rather underwhelming receiver room.
The Giants could look to add a receiver to bolster the position group with Nabers out for the season. A veteran like Cooper Kupp could make sense.
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Giants Should Inquire About Cooper Kupp’s Availability From Seahawks
After the Los Angeles Rams released Cooper Kupp in March, the Seattle Seahawks quickly signed the veteran wide receiver to a three-year, $45 million contract. The former All-Pro joined Jaxon Smith-Njigba in a Seahawks offense that also acquired veteran quarterback Sam Darnold during the offseason.
Kupp hasn’t been much of a factor through the first four weeks of the NFL season. The 32-year-old has caught 15 passes for 162 yards and has yet to record a touchdown.
Giants MUST Acquire a WR to Help Rookie QB Jaxson Dart Succeed
Whether it’s Kupp or another proven wide receiver, the Giants must upgrade their wide receiver room with Nabers sidelined for the foreseeable future. The team already made the decision to bench veteran quarterback Russell Wilson in favor of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart ahead of the Week 4 win over the Chargers. Now that Nabers is out, the Giants must provide their young quarterback with the resources to succeed and continue his growth at the NFL level.
The Seahawks are 3-1 and tied atop the NFC West. It’s unlikely that they would trade away starters as a playoff hopeful team, but it’s never off the table.
Outside of the Seahawks’ Week 3 win, in which Kupp caught seven passes for 90 yards on nine targets, he hasn’t made the impact the team had hoped he would when they signed him. He has eight catches for 72 yards in the other three games this season and wasn’t targeted more than five times in those matchups.
It’s only been four weeks, but Kupp has been far from the player the NFL world is accustomed to seeing. He led the league in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and receiving touchdowns (16) in 2021 with the Rams, later being named the Offensive Player of the Year.
Although he’s not the player he used to be, Kupp would elevate the Giants’ offense and provide a much-needed boost to the passing game while Nabers rehabs from his ACL injury. The Giants likely won’t make the playoffs in 2025, but the organization should stop at nothing to put Dart in the best situation possible to prevent stunting his growth as an NFL starting-caliber quarterback.
The Giants have $2.9 million in cap space right now and $17.4 million in cap space in 2026, per Over the Cap. With Kupp in the first year of his three-year deal, the Giants would need to make a trade work financially, but the Seahawks’ asking price shouldn’t be too high at this point in his career.
Cooper Kupp Career Stats and Accolades
Kupp has 649 receptions, 7,938 receiving yards, and 58 total touchdowns throughout his nine-year career. The 2017 third-round pick averages 73.5 yards per game and is known for his elite route running.
Kupp was selected to the Pro Bowl, named First-Team All-Pro, awarded Offensive Player of the Year, and finished third in MVP voting in 2021 with the Rams. He has appeared in nine playoff games and was named Super Bowl MVP in 2021 in the Rams’ win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
