Odell Beckham Jr. has officially returned to the NFC East. While the thought of the Washington Commanders having to deal with a player who formerly tormented them may not sound like a good thing, it actually could signal an even bigger update.
The return of OBJ sounds good on paper; however, it may just be a cover for the health of their current star wide receiver, Malik Nabers.
Commanders May Not Have To Deal With a Fully Healthy Malik Nabers Next Season
GettyMalik Nabers is second all-time in receptions recorded by a rookie with 109. In just 15 games, he recorded 1,204 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns in his rookie season.
Nabers has been on a long road to recovery since he tore his ACL in Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season. After Nabers’ first surgery to repair his ACL took place in October, ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced that he underwent a second surgery in May.
“It was a second surgery to address some of the scar tissue and some of the stiffness that he had after the first surgery,” Schefter stated on Get Up. “It was not planned, it was not expected.”
Schefter went on to say that while the Giants are hopeful Nabers will be ready for their season opener, he believes his status is very much “up in the air”.
Naber’s second surgery was initially reported in early May, and then fans got a first look at him moving post-surgery at Brian Burns’ celebrity softball game on May 30th.
Both clips feature Nabers in an active capacity, running a base and playing dodgeball. Although in both videos, his movement is limited. While it could simply be a byproduct of a nonchalant approach in a charity game, it does not provide a clear indication of whether it’s a result of his injury.
However, the Giants’ decision to move forward with signing OBJ seems to add weight to Nabers recovery concerns.
OBJ Wasn’t The Giants Only Backup Plan For Nabers
GettyJuJu Smith-Schuster recorded 33 catches for 345 yards and one touchdown in 2025.
On top of the Giants bringing in OBJ, Adam Schefter also reported that they are signing wide receiver Braxton Berrios. This move not only adds another playmaker to their receiver room but also helps fill the gap left by Gunner Olszewski after he tore his ACL last week.
The team also just reportedly signed JuJu Smith-Schuster as well, according to NFL Insiders Mike Garafolo.
All of this movement for the Giants certainly feels like preparation to be working, if not without Nabers completely, a limited version of him at least.
While not the case for every ACL surgery, it’s widely known that it may take a player one to two years to feel 100% again. The Commanders’ first matchup with the Giants comes in Week five on October 11th. They then face them again in Week 10 on Thursday, November 12th.
If Nabers is forced to miss any portion of time, is signficiantly hinders a Giants’ team that is expected to be vastly improved in year two of Jaxson Dart and year one of John Harbaugh. A slow start for New York only helps to boost the Commanders’ odds of winning the division and bouncing back from a disappointing 2025 campaign.
Why Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr. News Is a Good Sign for Commanders