One of the key players the New York Giants are hoping to get back to full strength for the 2026 NFL season is Malik Nabers. While John Harbaugh has been pleased with the wide receiver’s performance during training camp, he has yet to say when Nabers will be cleared to remove his non-contact red jersey.
“I thought he handled it well,” Harbaugh told reporters after practice. “It was kind of a similar type of a load. They’re adding reps to those; he had more reps in the team period than he had yesterday, so they’re going to keep building on that.”
When will Nabers return to full practice in a blue jersey? Harbaugh remained cautious. “I don’t know. You don’t know. It’s just day by day. Some days he might ramp it up more, and he might say, I feel great, and I want more than you had planned. And then the trainers may feel good about that, and if he does it and gets through it, then ooh, we’ve traveled more miles today than maybe they thought you would. It could go the other way, too. So, it’s just day-to-day.”
Nabers admitted that being sidelined for so long was difficult, which fueled his exceptional motivation during training camp. However, he will still need to take care of his body in the coming days to be in the best possible shape for the Week 1 opener.
Head coach John Harbaugh of the New York Giants walks the field.
Giants’ WR room undergoes changes
The arrival of Najee Harris to the Giants could lead to some changes within the WR depth chart. JuJu Smith-Schuster has fallen down the pecking order due to a knee injury, and his time in East Rutherford could be running out.
In this regard, Nabers has emerged as Jaxson Dart’s primary weapon in the passing game, with the likes of Darius Slayton and Calvin Austin III alongside him. Meanwhile, Odell Beckham Jr. has gained ground in the competition and is still pushing for a spot on the 53-man roster.
Malik Nabers #1 of the New York Giants is introduced before the game.
What challenges lie ahead for the Giants?
The preseason presents a valuable opportunity for teams to continue fine-tuning their players. The Giants, who opened the preseason against the Minnesota Vikings, still have two intriguing games ahead.
The first of those games will take place at Hard Rock Stadium against the Miami Dolphins next Saturday, August 22. Finally, in the New York rivalry, they will face the Jets on August 28. From there, the focus will turn entirely to their season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on September 13.
