The New York Giants have just gotten started with their training camp action, but injuries are already dominating the headlines surrounding this team. The biggest of the bunch revolves around star wide receiver Malik Nabers, who is working his way back from a torn ACL that cut his 2025 campaign short.
Over the offseason, there were some murky updates regarding Nabers’ injury status that emerged, which led folks to question whether or not he’d be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign. While the goal remains for Nabers to suit up for New York in Week 1, he missed the team’s latest practice on Friday, which led to head coach John Harbaugh addressing his injury status when speaking to reporters.
John Harbaugh Not Concerned with Malik Nabers’ Latest Practice Absence
The No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Nabers immediately enjoyed a stellar rookie campaign, despite dealing with subpar quarterback play. In 15 games, Nabers caught 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns, which helped him earn a Pro Bowl selection and a fifth-place finish in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race.
Nabers only managed to suit up in four games last year before he tore his ACL, but he was primed for another big year, as he hauled in 18 receptions for 271 yards and a pair of scores during his limited time on the field. Considering all that quarterback Jaxson Dart did last year without Nabers, his return is one of the big reasons why there is so much optimism surrounding this team.
The issue is that Nabers’ recovery from this injury hasn’t exactly been straightforward, as some speed bumps have popped up along the way. The latest example saw him miss practice on Friday, which immediately resulted in fans sounding the alarm bells. According to Harbaugh, though, Nabers and New York’s medical staff are simply taking a cautious approach when it comes to getting him back up to speed.
“I’d say it’s part of the process,” Harbaugh said when asked by reporters about Nabers’ absence. “These guys will work through it. Every single day, it’ll be what it is that given day. He’s worked real hard, he’s made a lot of progress, and that’s what he decided to do today … He’s fine.”
Giants Hoping Malik Nabers Will Be Ready to Play by Week 1
GettyNew York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers.
It’s only July, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the Giants aren’t rushing Nabers back into action. New York has high hopes for the campaign, so it’d rather have Nabers on the field in September than right now. If that results in him missing a handful of practices throughout training camp, then so be it.
Considering the severity of the injury that Nabers is coming back from, there are going to be eyes on him all summer long, even when he is on the field. As of right now, there’s no reason to be concerned about Nabers, but fans will surely be keeping an eye on his status over the next few days after this unexpected absence from practice.
Giants’ HC John Harbaugh Addresses Malik Nabers’ Injury Status After Latest Absence