Darnell Mooney Rejects Panic Over Giants' WR Room Amid Nabers Injury

Wideout Darnell Mooney is leaning on his past history with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy to step up in the Giants' offense.

May 21, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Darnell Mooney (17) speaks at a press conference during organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | John Jones-Imagn Images

New York Giants wide receiver Darnell Mooney has undoubtedly heard the outside chatter about the concerns surrounding the team’s wide receiver room, which could start the 2026 season without rehabbing receiver Malik Nabers.

But Mooney believes that if they do have to move on without Nabers for however long that might be, it won’t necessarily be as catastrophic as some believe.

“I feel like the room is very good. Everybody comes in, works hard. The mentality of everybody is just to get better every day,” Mooney said of the wide receivers' room.

“I feel like if somebody is not practicing, they're really feeling something or it's something that is aggravating them that they – it’s something (that) can't allow themself to be themself, you know.

“But, no, the room is good. We're all learning right now. Right now, it is a learning process of the playbook. Everybody wants to make plays, but we just kind of started getting up and going with football in itself. So, yeah, I think everybody is good.”

Although everyone is learning the new offense being installed by offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, Mooney has a slight head start after being with Nagy, then the Bears head coach, during the 2020-2021 seasons.

The offense, Mooney said, is much like how he remembered it in Chicago, but with some new twists.

“Oh, he's expanded a lot,” he said. “There are some things that we did in the past when I was with him.

“There are some new things he has brought onto his thing, and there are some things that I'm good at that I have learned on my way.”

Although he’s learning the new intricacies of the offense that Nagy created for the Giants, Mooney said at the end of the day, his role is simple.

“My role is to make plays and dominate. There is not much that’s been talked about,” he said emphatically.  

Along the way, if he can be of help to his teammates, given his familiarity with some of what Nagy is installing, Mooney is willing to do that as well.

“I'm usually a slow-motion, slow-burn guy. I'm always feeling guys out, seeing how guys work out in themselves, see what they might need in me,” he said.

“But if guys have questions, I’ll definitely answer them. I'm not really stepping on any toes. I'm just feeling out guys. But everybody is very respectful, you know. There is nothing -- there is no big leader role, you know. But if I have to be that, I will.”

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