‘Fair to be optimistic’ Nabers can play Week 1?

This is a positive update, and it seems fairly declarative, but there is still room for interpretation. A few Giants veterans were placed on the PUP list today, although veterans do not report to training camp until July 28th. The fact that Nabers avoided PUP today is good news, but it is still possible that he could land on the active/PUP list when he reports next week. Earlier today, Raanan reported that Nabers was “expected to avoid the physically unable to perform list” and that playing in Week 1 against the Cowboys is “a realistic possibility.” At the very least, this framing suggests he is not expected to be placed on the reserve/PUP list, which requires players to miss at least four games. We won’t know whether he officially avoids the active/PUP list until he reports next week, but keeping him off of it does have benefits. It allows the team more flexibility in how they integrate him into practices. If he lands on the active/PUP list, he can only do rehab work with the training staff. Long story short, this is a net positive, but next week could bring us another PUP-related update. Stay tuned.

Raanan does not specify whether he is referring to the reserve/PUP list, which requires players to miss at least four games, or the active/PUP list, which allows players to return at any time. At the very least, it sounds like Nabers is expected to avoid a reserve/PUP listing, which is good news. Raanan adds that Nabers is still rehabbing his right knee, and that “when he runs, how he runs and when he can practice will be deduced based off his every move.” Nabers’ 2026 outlook is far from certain, but his upside remains high. If he can avoid the active/PUP list as well, he would seemingly have a chance to practice, albeit likely in a limited capacity, soon after Giants veterans report for training camp on July 28th. Stay tuned.

Appearing on the Dominique Foxworth show on ESPN Monday, Harbaugh said Nabers is expected to work his way into practice “one way or another.” While he added that the 22-year-old wide receiver is on schedule and doing better every day, Harbaugh wasn’t offering any guarantees on the timeline. Nabers has had two surgeries on his right knee since tearing his ACL last September. He would be a prime candidate to see his ADP fall if he lands on the PUP list rather than the practice field as camp begins.

Speaking on Thursday, Harbaugh was sure to point out that Nabers’ injury was “not a simple knee” injury while adding that his star receiver is in the building “every day working hard” to make his return. Nabers underwent a cleanup procedure on his knee several weeks ago, but it isn’t expected to affect his return. Harbaugh said last month that Nabers wouldn’t be on the field until training camp, and maintained on Thursday that a return by camp was still the goal, but said the team will see what happens” from here. Nabers’ injury has been baked into his ADP all offseason, as he’s currently going in the mid to late second round of drafts. It wouldn’t be surprising if his ADP continued to dip until we have more certainty around his situation.

“It sounds like we’re not going to be throwing the ball a lot,” Dart said during a recent town hall with Giants fans and reporters when asked about how New York’s offense might look under new OC Matt Nagy. “We’re going to keep giving it to [Cam Skattebo] until they can stop it.” Skattebo said during the town hall that he was still learning to trust his surgically repaired ankle. He pledged to be ready to go for Week 1. If he’s not fully healthy for the season opener, look for Tyrone Tracy and perhaps Devin Singletary to take on bigger workloads.

The procedure removed scar tissue that was causing stiffness in his knee. Per Duggan, “This second surgery isn’t expected to impact Nabers’ recovery timeline.” Still, it’s not a great sign for Nabers, who the team is “hopeful” will be ready for Week 1, to need another procedure this late in his rehab, even if it’s minor. He suffered a torn ACL in Week 4 of the 2025 season and underwent his first surgery roughly a month later. Our first concrete indication of his progress will come at the start of training camp, when the Giants could opt to put him on the PUP list until he is ready to practice.

This is about what we expected, and about what Joe Schoen said in January, but it’s good to know that there’s been no setback along the way. It would not be surprising if Nabers opened up camp on the PUP list. It still sounds like there’s a real chance he’ll be ready to go for Week 1 after tearing his ACL in early October.

This comes from ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, who said Nabers also noted “he did in fact have a full meniscus repair in addition to ACL surgery in October.” This additional surgery will likely extend Nabers’ recovery timeline, but Giants GM Joe Schoen said last month that the team is hopeful Nabers will be ready for the start of training camp. This is already shaping up to be a storyline we will be tracking up to and possibly into camp, depending on how things go in the coming months. Until we get a definite word on when Nabers will return to the field, this injury could depress his ADP and create a little value for the fantasy managers drafting in the early portions of the offseason.

He added, “things can change.” Lot of caveats in this bit of hope, it sounds like. Nabers told reporters after the season that he was unsure about his return date. It wouldn’t be surprising if Nabers’ ACL and meniscus repairs keep him out well into training camp. He’ll be a caveat emptor all-star in offseason drafts — the talent is obviously there and he barely even got to play with Jaxson Dart. His health remains a big question mark at this time.

Nabers is recovering from surgery on his ACL and meniscus. The 22-year-old receiver told reporters Monday, “My target date is when my body feels good to get out there and I can continue to be who I am.” As for Week 1, Nabers said, “If my body doesn’t feel right (Week 1) then I’m not going to play.” Previous reports expected him to be good to go for the start of the 2026 season, though Nabers has at least introduced the possibility that his return might take longer.