The New York Giants got an unexpected storyline on Wednesday when wide receiver Malik Nabers left practice early — something that seemed to cause a bit more confusion when head coach John Harbaugh was asked to address it.
Nabers left practice accompanied by trainers 20 minutes early after having what was described as a “full workload” on Wednesday. The 2024 1st-round pick and Pro Bowler hasn’t played since tearing his ACL early in the 2025 regular season — an injury that required multiple surgeries to fix.
“Malik Nabers left the outdoor practice field early with a trainer,” ESPN’s Jordan Raanan wrote on his official X account. “Coach John Harbaugh said he talks with the medical staff after practice and there was no mention of Nabers.”
“It was a somewhat confusing interaction with Harbaugh after practice,” The Athletic’s Dan Duggan wrote on his official X account on Wednesday. “Harbaugh was unaware when first asked about Nabers leaving early. When asked a follow-up about the early exit, Harbaugh said, ‘It wasn’t part of the plan. I’ll find out what was going on. I’m sure it’s something with the trainers. There’s no injury. We talk afterwards — we always get the injury report right after and there was no talk about Malik that way.'”
“Malik Nabers leaving practice early — after looking good running routes in team drills — was not part of today’s plan, John Harbaugh said,” New York Daily News reporter Pat Leonard wrote on his official X account on Wednesday. “But the coach said whatever it was, there was no injury. Harbaugh would have heard about it at the end of practice.”
Giants Started Week With Positive Nabers Update
The week started with the Giants giving the most positive injury update on Nabers to this point — 1 that seemed to show he was on track to play against the Dallas Cowboys in a primetime regular-season opener on September 13.
Monday, Harbaugh told the assembled media, “It’s reasonable to assume” that Nabers will play in the season opener barring any setbacks with his surgically repaired knee.
Nabers had 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and 7 touchdowns in 15 games as a rookie in 2024 but tore his ACL just 4 games into the 2025 regular season.
“John Harbaugh isn’t ready to make any blanket statements on Malik Nabers for Week 1. But he did say … he’s trending towards being ready for the Cowboys,” Raanan wrote on Monday.
That wasn’t the only positive step Nabers took toward rejoining the team.
“Another step for Malik Nabers and the Giants: He shed the red jersey and took part in 7-on-7 & 11-on-11,” The New York Post’s Connor Hughes wrote on his official X account. “He wasn’t full (worked in for reps), but a step in right direction. He made a nice grab diving back for the ball on an intermediate route/curl. The Giants were without pads today, so not full contact in that sense, but a “contact” day for Nabers. Again … Week 1 looks good.”
Malik Nabers Addressed Expectations for Return
While Nabers still doesn’t have a timetable for when he might return, he dismissed a question from reporters on Friday about if and when he might be able to return to the player he was as a rookie — although not dismissed in the way you might think.
“I have extreme confidence in myself,” Nabers said. “And I not gonna put myself in any spot where I’m not gonna be better than what I was before. So I don’t see myself being what I was before, what y’all saw my rookie year. I felt like that was basic … I hold myself to a very high standard, and I feel like that high standard, you’re going to see it sooner or later.”
Giants’ John Harbaugh Shares Odd Update After Malik Nabers Leaves Practice Early