Malik

Nabers

This one is for the practice squad transactions grinders. Nabers is questionable to play in Week 1 against the Cowboys and has made it clear that he is weighing his long-term health heavily as he decides whether to play. Per Duggan, if the Giants elevate a second wide receiver, that “would be a very discouraging sign.” Stay tuned.

Nabers made clear yesterday that the decision to play, and how much, is up to him. The team appears to be respecting that. Nabers is, smartly, keeping his long-term health in mind. If active, he should probably be treated as a volatile WR2. Hopefully, we learn more later today or tomorrow.

Nabers fielded quite a few questions from reporters this afternoon, with many focusing on who makes the decision for him to play and whether he will be on a snap count. Nabers was adamant that his participation level is entirely his call. Of course, he chose not to share whether he is leaning toward playing or delaying his return, but noted that he is keeping his long-term health and career in mind. Nabers continues to practice in full, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter said earlier today that Nabers is “on track to play.” We lean that way as well, but his usage is tough to project. He is likely best viewed as a WR2 if active.

Nabers began the week practicing fully with his teammates, and we expect that to remain the case today and tomorrow. Giants coach John Harbaugh stopped short of saying Nabers will face the Cowboys in Week 1, but signs are certainly pointing toward that outcome. Hopefully, we get an indication as to whether the team plans to keep him on a snap count in the coming days.

Giants coach John Harbaugh told reporters he thinks Nabers is ready to go. Harbaugh didn’t fully commit to him playing in Week 1, but we would be stunned if Nabers isn’t out there on Sunday. Even if Nabers takes a few weeks to get back to form, he should be in fantasy lineups out of the gate. Nabers is, at worst, a high-end WR2 for his first game since suffering a torn ACL in Week 4 of the 2025 season.

Coming back from a 2025 ACL injury, there’s been speculation that Nabers might not be ready for the Giants’ opening game against Dallas on Sunday night. Graziano seems to think the Giants releasing veteran WR Darius Slayton over the weekend is a sign Nabers will be a go for Week 1, and ESPN’s Jordan Raanan said Nabers “seems to be trending in a positive direction” five days ahead of New York’s season opener. The Giants won’t practice Tuesday. Nabers’ Wednesday practice status could tell us whether he’s a full go against the Cowboys.

Nabers told reporters Monday that he still needed to clear a few checkpoints before being ready to suit up for the season opener against Dallas. “Will it take some time? Who knows?” he said. “But I know for sure if I’m out there, I’m going to run some routes.” Some routes and movements, he added, feel better than others on surgically-repaired knee. Even so, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan said the “expectation is [Nabers] will be playing barring some sort of setback.” A target hog who’s explosive with the ball in his hands, Nabers profiles as a risky fantasy selection for now. His absence in the season opener would be a blow to Jaxson Dart’s outlook.

Nabers continues to trend toward playing in Week 1 against the Cowboys, provided he avoids any setbacks. The star receiver officially shed his non-contact jersey on Monday and participated in a limited capacity in 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. Raanan said Nabers participated in three reps for both drills and “made a really nice catch when he went down and plucked a pass off the turf.” Speaking after Monday’s practice, head coach John Harbaugh said it would be “reasonable to assume” Nabers will play in Week 1 barring any setbacks. Nabers projects as a low-end WR1 in fantasy this season with the upside for top-five production once he’s back to full strength.

Things are still up in the air on this one. Harbaugh said it’s “a possibility” that Nabers ditches the red non-contact jersey, but added that he doesn’t think it’s “a necessity” to do so this week. The season opener is exactly three weeks away, so delaying the decision by a week might be fine. Nabers is seemingly on track to face the Cowboys in Week 1.

It was a big day for Nabers, as the star receiver participated in 11-on-11s for the first time since suffering a torn ACL last season. While he may not be up to full-speed just yet, it has been a positive summer for Nabers overall. He managed to avoid the PUP list to open camp and has not suffered any setbacks since then. He’s still sporting the red non-contact jersey, but all signs continue to point to Nabers being ready for Week 1 if he continues on his current trajectory.