Throughout the summer, there was likely nothing nagging New York Giants fans’ minds more than worries about wide receiver Malik Nabers.
The Giants‘ 2024 first-round draft pick was returning from a torn ACL in the 2025 season, and there were concerns that he may not have been ready to go for Week 1.
Clearly, there was nothing for people to be worried about. Nabers has appeared in all five of New York’s games this year and has been putting up numbers for his team.
So far, the former LSU standout has caught 29 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns, proving to be a reliable receiving threat for current starting quarterback Jameis Winston.
But according to Nabers, he’s not even close to feeling back to 100% yet, and that should terrify the rest of the NFL.
Malik Nabers Says He Isn’t Even Back to Full Strength Yet
Speaking with reporters on Friday, the New York Giants‘ WR1 was asked if he thinks he’s fully recovered from his torn ACL and damaged meniscus. His answer should make opposing defenses shiver.
“No, I still got like 20% left to get to. 20%-30%. I got a lot more ahead of me that I see in myself– potential. I leave a lot of plays out there that I’m trying to hone in. And I feel like if I do that, then I’ll be pushing ahead of where I want to be,” Nabers told the media.
John Harbaugh: “That gets me fired up. I can’t wait to see the 20-30% more, that’s going to be fun.”
If Nabers still feels like he’s not at full capacity, the Giants could be in for an absolute explosion down the stretch from their star wide receiver.
He’s coming off his best game of the season thus far against the Washington Commanders, hauling in 11 receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Nabers received 20 targets, too, something he was surely happy about after some grumblings a few weeks ago about not being a part of the offense enough.
Right now, Nabers is on a 17-game pace for 156 receptions, 1,118 receiving yards, and nearly 7 touchdowns, falling just short of the 1,208-yard mark he set in his rookie season.
Regardless, a year like that would erase any doubts that the former first-round draft choice wouldn’t be himself post-knee injury.
John Harbaugh Reacts to Malik Nabers’ Comments
Later the same day, New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh was speaking with the media and was asked about his wide receiver’s message to the rest of the league.
“Well, that makes me… it excites me,” Harbaugh said with a smile. “Just fired up; I can’t wait to see the 20 or 30% more. That’s gonna be fun. I mean, I think he’s doing great, and he had a great week of practice, so it’s good.”
The Super Bowl-winning head coach is probably just as excited as Giants fans to see Nabers continue to get comfortable on his surgically repaired knee.
Not only that, but he gets a better grasp of Matt Nagy’s playbook and continues to build chemistry with his new quarterback, Winston.
Hopefully, what he’s saying is true, and there’s still another gear for him to shift into.
Giants’ Malik Nabers Sends Warning to the NFL