As the New York Giants get ready for the start of the John Harbaugh era, the long-awaited return of Malik Nabers may finally come to fruition.
During Tuesday’s Get Up show on ESPN, NFL reporter Dan Graziano reported that Nabers appears to be “good to go for Sunday night” when the Giants take on the Dallas Cowboys.
“Malik Nabers has been a very pleasant surprise for the Giants’ coaching staff since they got back to training camp,” Graziano said. “They believe he was further along in his recovery when they arrived to training camp then they had reason to expect him to be…It sounds like [Malik Nabers is] going to be good to go for Sunday night.”
This promising update on Nabers comes less than 24 hours after New York, in a bit of a surprising move, released its longest-tenured player and fellow wide receiver Darius Slayton less than two years after signing a three-year, $36 million contract.
Nabers played in only four games last season after he tore his ACL against the Los Angeles Chargers last September. The former sixth overall pick also underwent a minor second knee surgery the offseason as a “cleanup” procedure to remove scar tissue causing joint stiffness, which caused further worry that he would miss the start of 2026. Nabers now appears ready for Week 1, which is a huge boost for second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.
The Giants’ wide receiver room was in a bit of flux as training camp and the preseason wound down. Big Blue lost slot receiver Calvin Austin III for the season after he tore his ACL, while they also cut Jalin Hyatt, whom they re-signed to their practice squad.
New York’s wide receiver corps is expected to consist of Nabers, Odell Beckham Jr., Darnell Mooney, and rookie Malachi Fields. Braxton Berrios is another receiver option for the Giants, who is expected to be their punt returner this season.
The Giants open their 2026 campaign against the aforementioned Cowboys on Sunday night at 8:20 p.m. EST. They look to win just their third game against Dallas over their last 12 matchups.
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