According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, “Coach John Harbaugh said the other day they were going to back off him [Nabers] in this setting.” This is all a part of the Giants’ rehab plan for the wideout.

After all, joint practices are more intense and fast-paced than practices or drills. Nabers is the Giants best wideout and he is on track to feature in Week 1. Hence, they are erring in the side of caution with him.

Dolphins defense could be very physical

The Miami Dolphins don’t have much expectations in the 2026 NFL season. However, one thing they must do is play physical, especially on defense. Their new head coach is former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.

Jeff Hafley’s defenses are built on high-intensity physicality, aggressive trench play, and a fearless mindset designed to swarm the opposing players. Hence, putting Malik Nabers against that kind of scheme could’ve ended in absolute tragedy and it’s not even an NFL game.

The Giants had issues in practice with Dolphins

In hindsight, it might be for good that Nabers didn’t practice. Giants’ rookie Francis Mauigoa struggled in his return to Miami for joint practice, for instance. As Harbaugh said, joint practice outside of the facilities “are not a controlled environment,” so it would be a massive blow to see something happen to the star wideout.

“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.

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.

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.

“My soul’s been dead for so long just being away and knowing what I could’ve accomplished, knowing where I was before this happened. Every tear, every talk with the family, every down day… it just kept that in the back of my head to continue,” Nabers said during his press conference.

One of the most important wide receivers in the NFC also spoke about his chances of being on the field in Week 1: “The most important thing is my health. The most important thing is just completing every milestone that they have in front of me, giving good effort, continuing to come out here and be a great teammate to my teammates.”

Returning from a serious injury

Returning from a serious injury requires a lot of caution, especially in a league as physical as the NFL. Malik Nabers knows this, which is why he does not want to rush the process. He needs to protect his body during this stage of the preseason in order to, in some way, be available to John Harbaugh in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys.

In late September 2025, during a game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Nabers suffered a torn ACL and a meniscus tear in his right knee, forcing him to undergo surgery and, understandably, miss the entire season. Now, the WR has already seen action alongside his Giants teammates and is hopeful of returning to his old self.

The leader of the receiving corps in New York

Malik Nabers is undoubtedly the top player in the Giants’ receiving corps, a group that boasts both depth and talent. Among them, Odell Beckham Jr. is looking to make the most of his opportunities, along with rookie Malachi Fields, Darnell Mooney, and Calvin Austin III.

Per Connor Hughes of SNY, Nabers sported a red, non-contact jersey as he participated in a walkthrough period that Giants coaches used to install plays. That is a particular condition of training. However, it aids Nabers, as he is not getting any tackles.

Hughes also said Nabers is en rout to play in Week 1. “Everything points towards him being back for the start of the season.” However, the Giants will ease him into action as opposed as getting him to go at full gear in training camp.

Nabers is a special talent for the NY Giants

Malik Nabers is one of those wideouts that makes his QB’s life easier. Nabers brings elite separation and speed, yards after catch ability, and able to handle a massive target share.

Hence, Jaxson Dart is likely to use him a bunch, and coach John Harbaugh is also bound to design many plays to exploit his talents. Nabers is coming off a knee surgery, but he is still young and has recovered properly.

Giants offense is poised to shine

Guided by a young core of players on their rookie contracts and an experienced, elite coach like John Harbaugh, the offense should work to perfection. The units are all strengthened in depth by serviceable veterans as well.

Hence, offensive coordinator Matt Nagy shouldn’t really have any excuse to not be able to move the chains with this unit. The Giants will be one of the most-seen teams in football given the hype they’ve created, so the pressure is on for them to live up to expectations.

“Everybody was happy that [Nabers] was out there. It’s a big step to get into team drills. For him to do that, it was a milestone, I would say, for our team,” Harbaugh told media after Nabers participated on team drills during the Giants’ latest practice.

Harbaugh and the Giants witnessed firsthand Nabers’ long recovery from the season-ending ACL and meniscus tear he suffered in Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season. As a new season draws closer, the G-Men acknowledge that Nabers is entering the home stretch of his rehab, and the light at the end of the tunnel is glowing brighter by the day. Still, New York is taking precautions.

NY Giants are patient with Nabers

Although Nabers participated in team drills and has seen his workload ramped up over the past few days, that’s not to say Harbaugh and his staff aren’t keeping a close eye on him. Nabers wore a red, non-contact jersey on Thursday when he took part in team drills, indicating he’s still not fully cleared for contact. Still, it wasn’t as if the defense handed anything to Nabers, either.

“He wasn’t untouched,” Giants coach Chad Hall said, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “[During training camp] in West Virginia, that was like a glorified walkthrough. This was a lot more intense.”

No one would dare go too hard on Nabers, though. Malachi Fields may impress teammates and make a push to be WR2 on Big Blue, but everybody knows the top spot is reserved for Nabers. And the Giants are determined to have their star wide receiver return on his own terms, not rush anything, and certainly not cost him a shot at redemption by putting him in harm’s way.

Encouraging sign for Nabers

“Again: Everything points toward him being back for the start of the season,” SNY reporter Connor Hughes stated after Nabers’ latest participation in Giants practice.

That’s always been the goal for New York: having Nabers back for the Week 1 season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. It won’t be a smooth road ahead, as Nabers will have to clear more hurdles, but it seems he is on the right track.

Per Jordan Raanan of ESPN, “barring a setback, it seems Malik Nabers (knee) is trending towards being ready Week 1 for the Dallas Cowboys.” Much has been said about the Giants weapons, but one constant has remained, Nabers is undoubtedly the WR1 for Jaxson Dart.

Tight end Isaiah Likely has established himself as Dart’s safety net. Still, Nabers is the one that takes this offense to a whole new level. Also, rookie Malachi Fields has shown the Giants he should be the WR2 of the team, but still Nabers clears as the first option.

Malik Nabers is a difference-maker

Last season, Nabers played just four games. He was averaging 15.1 yards per reception, and scored twice on a lackluster offense. At that point Dart hadn’t claimed his spot as the QB1 of the team.

In his rookie year, Nabers was a Pro-Bowler with over 100 receptions and seven touchdowns in 1204 yards. He could be a top 10-15 WR in the NFL, and that’s not easy to come by. Jaxson Dart must be thrilled to finally play with him.

Nabers will have to go toe-to-toe with the Cowboys WRs

Nabers is borderline elite when fully healthy, but the Cowboys have arguably the best WR duo in the NFL. George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb are incredibly talented. Hence, if the Giants want to stay in the game, Nabers must have an outstanding game to keep up the pace.

Per Dan Duggan of The Athletic, Fields is impressing heavily. and “has made an early claim for the No. 2 receiver spot” in camp. This means that he would be ahead of veteran Odell Beckham Jr in the pecking order.

Also, tight end Isaiah Likely has risen as Jaxson Dart’s safety net. Hence, the Giants are finding their footing on offense. The passing offense is getting the groove and that is great for a team in the middle of a rebuild.

Malachi Fields has the edge over Odell Beckham Jr.

Malachi Fields has elite size and catch radius. He routinely wins 50/50 vertical balls and functions as a classic boundary “X” receiver. Fields has plenty of physicality after the catch, where he uses his massive frame and play strength to break initial tackles and grind out extra yardage on short routes.

Also, given his background as a quarterback, he has great zone awareness, understanding of leverage, and ability to work back to throws. So, Fields could be the wideout that gets most looks just behind Malik Nabers.

Giants WR depth chart by order of priority

The order of priority for the Giants wideouts could be differently as originally Darnell Mooney and Odell Beckham Jr. were supposed to have more relevance but Fields is leapfrogging them.

1. Malik Nabers
2. Malachi Fields
3. Darnell Mooney II
4. Darius Slayton
5. Calvin Austin III
6. JuJu Smith-Schuster
7. Isaiah Hodgins
8. Braxton Berrios
9. Jalin Hyatt

Connor Hughes of SNY spoke on the fact that no wide receiver has stepped up aside from Malik Nabers. In Hughes’ words, “That has not happened.” Hence, Hughes also offered another solution.

Hughes says the WR market is “worth monitoring” for the Giants as wideouts on other teams could potentially become available via trade. However, this is a bit concerning, as the Giants signed a plethora of new WRs to help the team.

Who are the new Giants WRs?

For this season, the Giants brought in Darnell Mooney, Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, Braxton Berrios, Calvin Austin III, and drafted Malachi Fields. Those are six new receivers, and if none can jump out as a prominent player, it is actually concerning.

Add that to the fact that they already had Darius Slayton, Isaiah Hodgins, and Jalin Hyatt, and this should be a deep, deep WR room. If the Giants have to go to the market for a trade, a couple of pieces should go.

Which WRs could be available via trade?

The list of wide receivers headlining NFL trade block discussions are there. Contract pressures, depth chart additions, and looming training camp cuts are driving forces for several wideouts to change teams ahead of the roster deadline. These would be some of the names.

• Kayshon Boutte (New England Patriots)
• Cedric Tillman (Cleveland Browns)
• Jerry Jeudy (Cleveland Browns)
• George Pickens (Dallas Cowboys)

Having Nabers on the field for some snaps, with breaks in between, is far better than not having him at all—despite the obvious risk that comes with it—and that appears to be the Giants‘ preferred approach for now. Still, a lot can happen before the NFL season begins.

“It is hard — barring a setback — not to envision [Nabers] suiting up to open the 2026 season. He might be on a snap count,” Connor Hughes reported on SportsNet New York. “But even a limited Nabers would be a good thing for the Giants.”

Nabers is doing well during Giants’ training camp

So far, so good, however. Nabers has responded well to the gradual ramp-up in his workouts, and John Harbaugh was reassuring in his message after Nabers’ first absence from training camp—which was predetermined.

Thus, barring any setbacks, Nabers should be good to go against Dallas at home. But even if that’s the case, the G-Men may be extra cautious. After all, the season is long.

If New York wants to have any shot at a deep postseason run in Harbaugh’s first year in town, having Nabers contribute late in the season is paramount. If Nabers isn’t at 100 percent, it may not be wise to start him right from the get-go. Using him in a limited role, however, could be the better approach, and Nabers may not give the coaching staff much choice but to put send him onto the gridiron. At the very least, on a snap count.

Nabers is crucial to NY Giants’ success

The Giants did a good job making much-needed additions to their wide receiver room. Although Odell Beckham Jr. has yet to earn a spot on the 53-man roster and Braxton Berrios is impressing the Giants at training camp, there aren’t many certainties about what the G-Men’s receiving corps will look like by Week 1. One thing is clear, though: they have alternatives, yet no one quite like Nabers.

The third-year wide receiver possesses a skill set unlike any other in East Rutherford—one that could place him among the NFL’s elite if he can stay healthy. He proved himself during his rookie year, was forced to miss most of his sophomore campaign, and will surely come into Year 3 with a chip on his shoulder.

NY Giants’ revamped offense

With Harbaugh at the helm, Matt Nagy calling the shots, and Jaxson Dart operating in the pocket, it could all lead to a sensational season for the former LSU standout. If Nabers balls out, that opens up the floodgates for the rest of the wide receivers to take advantage of defenses that must account for the No. 1 receiver.

All in all, if the G-Men play their cards right, they could be in for a monstrous season—one that should be a lot of fun to watch.

“He’s fine,” Harbaugh said via Jordan Raanan on X. He also made it clear that his absence is “part of the process.” The Giants want to take a cautious approach with one of their best receivers.

Nabers does not know if he will be ready for Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, but he remains hopeful. Still, everyone in East Rutherford understands that there is no need to rush the process, especially when it comes to recovering from a delicate injury.

A connection that excites

Malik Nabers praised Jaxson Dart’s leadership, sparking excitement around the Giants. Many have already begun imagining what this offensive duo could bring to the team in the upcoming NFL season.

Dart enters his second season with much more maturity, but he cannot afford to slow down. The good news for him is that Braxton Berrios has been making a strong impression during training camp, meaning his passing attack will eventually have several options to rely on.

What injury did Nabers suffer?

During Week 4 of the 2025 season, Malik Nabers suffered a season-ending torn ACL and lateral meniscus in his knee against the Los Angeles Chargers at MetLife Stadium. Following surgery in October 2025 and a minor follow-up procedure to clear scar tissue in May 2026, Nabers faced a lengthy, rigorous rehabilitation process.

However, he made a major milestone in late July 2026 by returning to the practice field at Giants training camp on a limited basis. While both Nabers and the medical staff are taking a patient, “day-by-day” approach without setting a strict target date, he continues to make steady progress as he aims to make a full return for the 2026 season.

Harbaugh’s weapons through the air

The New York Giants and John Harbaugh have, in many ways, one of the most talented receiving corps in the NFC. The question now is whether they can prove it once they step onto the field in Week 1.

The first challenges for New York

• Week 1, vs Dallas Cowboys
• Week 2, at Los Angeles Rams
• Week 3, vs Tennessee Titans
• Week 4, vs Arizona Cardinals
• Week 5, at Washington Commanders

One of the biggest positive developments came before camp even opened, when the Giants decided not to place Nabers on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. That decision immediately suggested the organization believed he was close enough to recovery to participate in football activities, even if on a limited basis.

Since then, Nabers has been seen working on the practice field, fueling optimism that he could be ready sooner than expected. Still, with the regular season approaching, the biggest question remains whether he will be available for the Giants’ Week 1 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

Will Malik Nabers be ready for Week 1?

Asked directly whether he expects to play against Dallas in the season opener, Malik Nabers declined to make any guarantees. Instead, he emphasized that his focus remains on taking his recovery one day at a time. “There’s no target date. Just stacking days and I’ll continue to let everybody know how I feel and when I’m able to get back out there.”

Why Malik Nabers’ return is so important

The Giants are entering a new era under head coach John Harbaugh, with rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart expected to lead an improved offense. For that transition to succeed, New York will need their biggest offensive playmaker on the field.

Nabers is widely viewed as the focal point of the passing game, and his chemistry with Dart could become one of the defining storylines of the 2026 season.

While avoiding the PUP list was an encouraging first step, Nabers made it clear that the Giants will continue prioritizing his long-term health over rushing him back for Week 1. For now, they remain hopeful, but there is still no official timetable for his return.