Malik Nabers wanted to make a statement for his first NFL game. With his latest fashion choice, he should get the opportunity to do just that when he makes his debut during the Giants' Week 1 clash with the Vikings on Sept. 8.
The 21-year-old wide receiver will sport the famous No. 1 jersey for Big Blue, the franchise announced Wednesday evening. The move symbolizes New York's faith in the LSU product, who was selected No. 6 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
"It shows how much this organization wants to make me a key factor in the offense," Nabers said. "How much they're invested in me. It shows how much this organization put trust on me."
It's an unfamiliar digit for Nabers — he didn't don the number in high school or in college. But a roster move and Daniel Jones' seniority meant Nabers had to get creative when figuring out what number he would wear his during his first NFL season.
Here's what you need to know about how Nabers would up with the iconic No. 1, one of the most significant jersey numbers in New York franchise history.
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What number will Malik Nabers wear with Giants?
Nabers will rock No. 1 for the Giants in 2024. The digit is a notable one, as New York's No. 1 was the first number retired by any professional football team — but now Nabers will bring it back.
The number originally belonged to Giants legend Ray Flaherty, who spent six years with the team in the early- to mid-1930s. Flaherty was quite the talent in the pass game, racking up 41 catches for 626 yards and 20 touchdowns over the course of his career. Following his retirement in 1935, New York took his digit out of commission. For 89 years, it remained cased in the glow of history.
All good things must come to an end, though. Nabers was seeking a new marker of his own — he wore No. 9 all throughout the preseason but gave it up in favor of veteran punter Graham Gano ahead of the start of the regular season.
Perhaps Nabers could scoop up the number he wore during his college days? Well, not exactly. Nabers flourished in the No. 8 while with the Tigers. But the Giants already have a No. 8 in their ranks: starting quarterback — and $160 million man — Daniel Jones.
Nabers needed another option. After doing a bit of research, he found that Flaherty's No. 1 spoke to him.
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"Everybody else's number was really taken," Nabers said. "I looked into retired jerseys and number one stood out. So, I asked [Giants co-owner] John Mara about it. He was like, 'We could give it a shot.' So, we gave it a shot."
Nabers is a highly-touted prospect. He's no Pro Football Hall of Famer, however. If he wanted to rock No. 1, he was going to need the Flaherty family's blessing.
"I understood that Malik was interested in wearing number one, and we initially told him, 'No, it's been retired for many years,'" Mara said. "Then I thought, I think we'd be willing to allow it if the Flaherty family would be agreeable to it."
The Flahertys were open to Mara's query. On Wednesday, they confirmed that Nabers could dress himself in their forbearer's famous outfit.
Flaherty's son, Ray Jr., explained that the family hopes the number can introduce a new generation of football fan to his father's legacy.
"That number was the first one retired by the Giants," Ray Flaherty Jr. said. "It was the first professional football number retired. And actually, it was the first professional sports athlete number retired in America."
Nabers vowed to honor Flaherty and his influence on the gridiron while wearing the strip for Brian Daboll's side.
"I'm going to represent their family's retired number well," Nabers said. "I'm going to try my best. I'm grateful that they chose the opportunity to un-retire the jersey and let me wear it. I'm going to wear it with pride."
He'll have support from a predictable source when he takes the field in the number that Flaherty built.
"I've been following Malik in training camp as best I can from here, and it does seem like he's having a hell of a camp," Ray Flaherty Jr. said. "And I wish him the best. I've got a vested interest in him now."
Who is Ray Flaherty?
Flaherty was one of the highest-profile football players of his generation, starring for the Wildcats, the Yankees and, most famously, the Giants during his football career. He made multiple All-Pro teams during his playing career before embarking on a Hall of Fame coaching career.
Across 18 seasons as a coach, Flaherty compiled an 80-37-5 record. He captured two NFL titles during his time on the sidelines, both of which happened during his time in Washington.
Flaherty is credited with inventing the screen pass. He implemented the tactic in Washington's clash with the Bears in the 1937 NFL Championship. With the ball on its own seven-yard line and Chicago's Monsters of the Midways bearing down on the offense, Flaherty had star quarterback "Slingin'" Sammy Baugh flick a pass behind the line of scrimmage to Washington tailback Cliff Battles. He proceeded to race down the field, picking up 44 yards in the process. Football hasn't been the same since.
Flaherty was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976. He died on July 19, 1994, aged 90 years old.
Malik Nabers jersey number history
Nabers wore one jersey number during his college career — No. 8. He did, however, rock No. 13 while at Southside High School (Youngsville, Louisiana), however.
| Number | Years | Team(s) |
| 8 | 2021-23 | LSU |
| 9 | Present | Giants |