- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,239,418
- Reaction score
- 59
Editor's note: This is Part 22 of 26 in Art Stapleton's New York Giants summer series Q&A
The New York Giants have several players they consider franchise cornerstones, and Malik Nabers is one of them.
The presence of John Harbaugh as head coach represents a new beginning for the Giants, of course, and there is reason to believe that this is just the start of a promising future - and with that level of optimism, it's not too early to look ahead and prepare for what's coming down the road, even if the focus remains on Sept. 13 and opening night at MetLife Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys.
You never want to look too far into the future in the NFL, and that has applied to the Giants far too many times over in the past decade-plus. Head coaching changes. Constant roster turnover without many second deals for draft picks.
When you lose as much as Big Blue has, staying in the moment and avoiding the pitfalls of the recent past becomes a never-ending quest for a franchise.
One of the most significant factors for success in Harbaugh's first season here is the health of Nabers, who is recovering from a torn ACL and meniscus repair in his knee from last year.
For now, there are questions that need to be answered as Harbaugh prepares to kick off his first training camp as Giants coach in West Virginia at the Greenbrier on July 28.
We hope to set the table for the summer and beyond with 26 questions that will define the 2026 Giants season.
26 QUESTIONS: See our growing list of Giants questions for 2026 season
The Giants placed three players on the PUP [physically unable to perform] list in advance of the veterans reporting for training camp next week … and Nabers is not one of them.
Neither is running back Cam Skattebo, so flip out if you’d like.
The three PUPers: defensive linemen Sam Roberts and Roy Robertson-Harris, and tight end Thomas Fidone. Robertson-Harris suffered an Achilles tear in the spring, but the Giants are not yet ready to rule him out for the entire season, which is why he has not been placed on injured reserve.
Obviously, the latest development in Nabers' status and the speculation regarding his availability over the next month and into the season took a promising turn Thursday, July 23. By not placing Nabers on the PUP list to open camp,
His situation is layered - encouraging, but layered given the circumstances.
I did not buy into the doom and gloom when video of Nabers slowly running out a groundball in the Brian Burns celebrity softball came on May 30 went viral. He wasn't going all out, which was expected.
And when Harbaugh talked about the "slog" of rehab for Nabers, it was as much mentally as it was physically.
What I took from that event and Nabers' participation: he was poised to come out of the experience in a good mental space. He was able to move better and seemingly have fun without thinking about his knee, protecting himself just the same. That put him on track to take his recovery to next level.
Not going on the PUP list to begin camp means the Giants believe Nabers will pass his physical and be able to participate in practices to some degree. That could be in walkthroughs to start as he progresses through rehab workouts with the training staff. If Nabers was on PUP, his activities are limited to rehab with the training staff and no on-field interaction with the team.
If the Giants put Nabers on PUP and stayed there because he was unavailable for the start of the season, he'd be required to miss the first four games no questions asked.
What we know for sure: the Giants believe Nabers will be ready to practice and play before Week 5. The likelihood, based on conversations with those inside the organization, is that Nabers is progressing well enough to expect his return at some point in camp. To what extent that will be depends on how Nabers' knee responds to the work, his first since getting injured early in the Giants' eventual win over the Chargers on Sept. 28, 2025.
That was Jaxson Dart's first start, and there is tremendous anticipation to see Dart and Nabers on the field together again. Considering Thursday's developments, we're seemingly one step closer to that becoming reality sooner than many predicted.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Will Malik Nabers be ready for the season? The latest and what's next
Continue reading...
The New York Giants have several players they consider franchise cornerstones, and Malik Nabers is one of them.
The presence of John Harbaugh as head coach represents a new beginning for the Giants, of course, and there is reason to believe that this is just the start of a promising future - and with that level of optimism, it's not too early to look ahead and prepare for what's coming down the road, even if the focus remains on Sept. 13 and opening night at MetLife Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys.
You never want to look too far into the future in the NFL, and that has applied to the Giants far too many times over in the past decade-plus. Head coaching changes. Constant roster turnover without many second deals for draft picks.
When you lose as much as Big Blue has, staying in the moment and avoiding the pitfalls of the recent past becomes a never-ending quest for a franchise.
One of the most significant factors for success in Harbaugh's first season here is the health of Nabers, who is recovering from a torn ACL and meniscus repair in his knee from last year.
For now, there are questions that need to be answered as Harbaugh prepares to kick off his first training camp as Giants coach in West Virginia at the Greenbrier on July 28.
We hope to set the table for the summer and beyond with 26 questions that will define the 2026 Giants season.
26 QUESTIONS: See our growing list of Giants questions for 2026 season
Question #22: Will star WR Malik Nabers be ready for Week 1?
The Giants placed three players on the PUP [physically unable to perform] list in advance of the veterans reporting for training camp next week … and Nabers is not one of them.
Neither is running back Cam Skattebo, so flip out if you’d like.
The three PUPers: defensive linemen Sam Roberts and Roy Robertson-Harris, and tight end Thomas Fidone. Robertson-Harris suffered an Achilles tear in the spring, but the Giants are not yet ready to rule him out for the entire season, which is why he has not been placed on injured reserve.
Obviously, the latest development in Nabers' status and the speculation regarding his availability over the next month and into the season took a promising turn Thursday, July 23. By not placing Nabers on the PUP list to open camp,
His situation is layered - encouraging, but layered given the circumstances.
I did not buy into the doom and gloom when video of Nabers slowly running out a groundball in the Brian Burns celebrity softball came on May 30 went viral. He wasn't going all out, which was expected.
And when Harbaugh talked about the "slog" of rehab for Nabers, it was as much mentally as it was physically.
What I took from that event and Nabers' participation: he was poised to come out of the experience in a good mental space. He was able to move better and seemingly have fun without thinking about his knee, protecting himself just the same. That put him on track to take his recovery to next level.
Not going on the PUP list to begin camp means the Giants believe Nabers will pass his physical and be able to participate in practices to some degree. That could be in walkthroughs to start as he progresses through rehab workouts with the training staff. If Nabers was on PUP, his activities are limited to rehab with the training staff and no on-field interaction with the team.
If the Giants put Nabers on PUP and stayed there because he was unavailable for the start of the season, he'd be required to miss the first four games no questions asked.
What we know for sure: the Giants believe Nabers will be ready to practice and play before Week 5. The likelihood, based on conversations with those inside the organization, is that Nabers is progressing well enough to expect his return at some point in camp. To what extent that will be depends on how Nabers' knee responds to the work, his first since getting injured early in the Giants' eventual win over the Chargers on Sept. 28, 2025.
That was Jaxson Dart's first start, and there is tremendous anticipation to see Dart and Nabers on the field together again. Considering Thursday's developments, we're seemingly one step closer to that becoming reality sooner than many predicted.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Will Malik Nabers be ready for the season? The latest and what's next
Continue reading...
