New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers was one of the many who reacted after LSU fired head coach Brian Kelly in his fourth season following a stingy loss to Texas A&M. Nabers, who played under Kelly in his final two college football seasons before being sixth overall in the 2024 NFL draft, posted his reaction on social media.
Nabers shared a story on Instagram with a “kick rocks” video shortly after the news broke. While Nabers didn’t say anything, many are interpreting this as non-supportive of Kelly’s tenure.
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In lieu of the development, LSU, who inked Brian Kelly to a 10-year deal, will owe the head coach approximately $53 million as per the buyout clause. Kelly joined the program after the 2021 season and led them to a 34-14 record. In this season, he bows out after leading LSU to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the SEC.
What’s The Backstory Between Malik Nabers and Brian Kelly After LSU Dismissal?
In two years, Malik Nabers and Brian Kelly have been at odds for the play on football field.
Back in 2022, Nabers muffed two punts, including one within the final three minutes of the fourth quarter. While the Tigers led a 99-yard drive to score before the time expired, the Seminoles prevented overtime by blocking the extra point. Kelly put the blame of the special teams mistake on Nabers.
You put a guy back there, a guy like Malik Nabers, you watch him, you evaluate him through four weeks of practice, and you feel comfortable with his elite skill set and his mindset that he’s going to be able to do a great job, and that wasn’t the case,” Kelly said. “That was a mistake that we made.
“He wants to do it, and we’ll have to reevaluate that situation. He’s a great kid. We didn’t lose the game because he dropped those two punts. We miraculously were able to overcome those. You usually wouldn’t. But that’s ‑‑ you know, that’s on us. We made that evaluation. We watched him catch punts, and we felt like he was in a position that he could do that for us.”
In 2023, an altercation took place between the offensive and defensive players during practice. As a result, Brian Kelly sent Nabers and teammate Kyren Lacy to the locker room. Kelly called it a lack of leadership on Nabers’ part.
This gives a signal that the wide receiver may not be happy with Kelly at the helm in Baton Rouge.
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