The New York Giants caught a break before training camp even kicked off. Wide receiver Malik Nabers did not land on the physically unable to perform list to start camp, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. That’s a better outcome than a lot of people expected.
Nabers is still working his way back from the ACL tear that ended his sophomore season in Week 4. He went down after a pass from quarterback Jaxson Dart against the Los Angeles Chargers, landing awkwardly on his right knee. The timing was brutal. He had just made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and was building serious momentum.
The 22-year-old has been grinding through rehab and appears to be on schedule. Raanan reported the Giants are optimistic he could be ready for the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. But that’s not a guarantee. Raanan put it plainly: the team is crossing its fingers, and nobody really knows for sure.
Patience is the plan
Even if Nabers isn’t 100 percent by Week 1, the Giants have some depth to work with. Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin III and Odell Beckham Jr. are all in the rotation. Tight ends Cam Skattebo and Isaiah Likely give Dart additional targets. It’s not a receiving corps built around one guy, which buys the coaching staff time.
The bigger question is how quickly Nabers can shake off the rust and get back to the receiver who racked up 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024. That kind of production doesn’t just come back overnight, especially after a major knee injury. The Giants know that. They can afford to ease him in if the rest of the room holds up.
For now, not landing on the PUP list is a genuine win. It means Nabers can practice from day one, even if he’s limited. Every rep matters, especially for a guy trying to regain his feel for game speed after months of recovery work. The Giants aren’t rushing him, but they’re also not ruling out a Week 1 return.
That Dallas game is still a realistic target. Whether Nabers gets there depends on how his knee responds to the ramp-up. The first few weeks of camp will tell a lot.
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