EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants had their worst fears confirmed Monday with an MRI showing that standout wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The diagnosis leaves a massive hole in the Giants' lineup.
Nabers suffered the injury while trying to catch a deep ball down the right sideline in the first half of Sunday's 21-18 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers. He immediately reached for his right leg as he was in the air and landed hard on the ground.
Almost the entire Giants team came onto the field to check on Nabers, who was in intense pain, as he was being attended to by the medical staff.
The Pro Bowl receiver appeared demoralized as he left the field. He had a towel over his head in obvious disappointment before eventually waving to the fans as he was taken off the field on a cart.
The Giants (1-3) and new quarterback Jaxson Dart will have to move forward without him.
"Love you bro. You will be back even better," quarterback Russell Wilson wrote on an Instagram story with praying emojis.
Nabers' former college teammate, best friend and current Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels also posted a message of encouragement Tuesday morning.
"U a solider ... I got u brudda," Daniels wrote.
Nabers caught a franchise-record 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns last season as a rookie. He had 18 catches for 271 yards and two touchdowns prior to the injury this season. His 127 receptions through the first 19 games of his career ranks second only to Odell Beckham Jr. in NFL history for most receptions through 20 career games.
Darius Slayton, who has led the team in receptions four of the past six seasons, will step into the No. 1 role in Nabers' absence. More will also be expected from 2023 third-round pick Jalin Hyatt, who has yet to catch a pass this season but played 23 snaps in Nabers' absence on Sunday.
Rookie undrafted free agent Beaux Collins also saw an uptick in his usage on Sunday afternoon without Nabers.
The early part of this season was a grind for Nabers, who had missed practice time with back and shoulder problems. He is expected to undergo surgery in the coming weeks with an eye on returning for the start of next season.
"I didn't think it was going to be that serious, personally, honestly. My heart goes out to that kid," outside linebacker Brian Burns said after Sunday's game. "I've seen him work. The work that he did, the extra work he put in with [Wilson], what he was banking on, his goals for the season. But Leek will be back. He will be back better than ever. But it's tough."