Giants rookie Malik Nabers to wear long-retired No. 1, thanks to permission from former Gonzaga legend Ray Flaherty’s family

This year holds a lot of firsts for New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers, including his new number.

With permission from Ray Flaherty’s family, the longest-retired jersey in the NFL will resurface, and the rookie will don the No. 1 for the Giants this season. The Giants retired the Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end’s number in 1935. It was the first number sidelined in pro football history.

“I understand the responsibility and I will do everything in my power to honor the Flaherty family and this organization,” Nabers said in a statement. “I will wear the number with great pride.”

Nabers, the sixth pick in the 2024 NFL draft, wore No. 8 at LSU and traded it in for No. 9 during NFL training camp. Early in camp, Nabers asked general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll if he could switch to a new number, according to the New York Post. Mara agreed Nabers could wear No. 1 only if the Flaherty family allowed it.

Flaherty’s son, Ray Flaherty Jr., officially agreed to it Wednesday, per the Post, intending to reretire his father’s No. 1 once Nabers also retires from the NFL.

Flaherty, who was a force on Gonzaga’s powerhouse football teams of the 1920s, played on the Giants’ 1934 championship team, joining the Giants in 1928. Four years later, after landing with New York, he led the NFL in pass receptions with 21 catches for 350 yards. Flaherty went on to coach Washington to championships in 1937 and 1942.

Flaherty died of natural causes in 1994 at 89.

Nabers became one of the Giants’ go-to targets throughout his first training camp and now he’ll get the No. 1 jersey to match his expected role. After the Giants failed to land a quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft, they shifted gears to getting Daniel Jones a top playmaker – the likes of which haven’t been seen in East Rutherford, New Jersey, since the Odell Beckham Jr. days.

They went with the prized receiver out of LSU whose competitive makeup appealed to the coaches and the front office. The Giants’ draft and Nabers’ scouting process were documented in-depth on “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants.” Throughout camp, he’s proven he was worth the pick, bringing in acrobatic one-handed grabs and showing versatile use. He tallied the second-most completions (30) in camp during the 11-on-11 portions with Jones.

Asking the Flaherty family for permission to unretire the number and allowing Nabers to wear No. 1 cements how ownership feels about its newest prospect and his anticipated role in the franchise. The Giants are celebrating their 100th season this year so it’s a fitting new bit of trivia, too.