Mike Francesa can't believe how little power sports franchises have over young players.
Giants star rookie wideout Malik Nabers, who is scheduled to miss his second consecutive game with a concussion, was spotted attending a Travis Scott concert this week.
Before Neighbors was officially ruled out for Sunday night's game against the Bengals, Francesa on his BetRivers podcast explained how Nabors could fit into a loud and upbeat event when the Giants needed him back on the field. He said he was confused as to whether he would be able to participate.
“Here's what I don't understand — and it just shows how poorly the team is treating their young star right now. He has a concussion. He's already missed one game. . He hasn't passed the basic jump of concussion protocol. What is he doing at the concert?'' asked Francesa.
“I don't know what concerts he went to. If you mention those people, I've probably never heard of them. That's fine. It doesn't matter. The important thing is that you know two things at a concert: It's loud and there's a lot of bright light, both of which are bad for concussion healing.”
Francesa remained perplexed that NFL teams could not prevent Nabers from participating in the event.
“You're trying to get this player to win football games. He's already proven he's worthy of being drafted where he's drafted and he's on his way to stardom. We all agree on that. But this just shows how bad these teams are at dealing with player behavior. ! What is he doing at the concert?'' Francesa asked.
“You can say, 'His time is his.' When you have a concussion, his time is not his. What is he doing out there?”
Giants head coach Brian Daboll told reporters Friday that the matter will be handled “internally.”
Francesa acknowledged on the podcast that there was no evidence that Nabors had been partying or “drinking,” but reiterated that he shouldn't have gone to the concert.
“They have shown time and time again that they cannot control their young players and make them focus on the game at hand. He should be resting!” Francesa said.
“I don't care what he does normally. That's his job. I hope he's smart about it. But it's totally irresponsible that he's coming to the concert. That's stupid. It doesn't make any sense.”
