The New York Giants may have finally received encouraging news regarding Malik Nabers after growing concern surrounding the star wide receiver’s second knee surgery. Following days of speculation about whether Nabers could miss the beginning of the 2026 season, NFL insider Tom Pelissero provided a much more optimistic update about the situation.
“My understanding is that the second procedure was about three or four weeks ago. Still optimism that he’s going to be ready for Week 1. You never want to hear about your star player having one knee surgery, much less two, but it doesn’t seem like the alarms are going off yet with Malik Nabers.”
The update is extremely important for the Giants considering Nabers remains one of the central pieces of the offense led by Jaxson Dart. While they’re expected to take a very cautious approach throughout the offseason, the belief inside the building still appears to be that Nabers can return in time for the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
Giants still optimistic Malik Nabers will face Cowboys in Week 1
Even though optimism remains, the situation has undeniably created uncertainty around the Giants’ offense heading into training camp. Nabers is expected to miss most offseason activities and possibly portions of the preseason while continuing his recovery process.
That uncertainty helps explain why New York aggressively addressed the receiver position during free agency and the draft. The Giants added veterans Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III while also selecting Malachi Fields to improve depth around Jaxson Dart.
Still, losing Nabers for any significant amount of time would be a massive blow for the offense. The young receiver quickly became one of the NFL’s most dangerous playmakers, and his chemistry with Dart was expected to become one of the biggest storylines of the season.
For now, however, the Giants appear determined to avoid panic. And according to Pelissero’s latest update, they still believe their superstar receiver has a realistic chance to be on the field when New York opens the season against Dallas in primetime.
