Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has impressed since he took the reins from veteran Russell Wilson in Week 4, but injuries will deprive the first-rounder of a couple of key weapons early in his career.
Star wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a season-ending ACL tear and a partially torn meniscus in Dart’s first start. Rookie running back Cam Skattebo, a fourth-rounder and a member of the same draft class as Dart, then went down with a brutal ankle injury in a loss to the Eagles last Sunday. Like Nabers, Skattebo is done for the year. Both players have taken important steps in their recoveries this week.
Nabers underwent knee surgery on Tuesday, Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports reports. The second-year man waited a month to have surgery, though Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes that’s common. The hope is the delay will lead to an easier rehab, per Rapoport, who says Nabers “should be good to go for next season.”
Even if New York is confident in an early 2026 return for Nabers, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the team make significant moves to address its receiving corps before then. Darius Slayton, who re-signed on a three-year, $36MM deal last March, joins Nabers as the Giants’ only proven receivers under contract in 2026. Wan’Dale Robinson is the leader among Giants wideouts in catches, targets, yards, and touchdowns in 2025, but he’s due to reach free agency in the offseason.
Along with recording solid production on the ground (410 yards and five touchdowns on 101 carries), the hard-running Skattebo provided the Giants a viable pass-catching threat. He chipped in 24 receptions, 207 yards, and two more scores in his first eight games. Tyrone Tracy and Devin Singletary will have to pick up the slack in his absence.
In addition to dislocating his ankle, Skattebo fractured his fibula and suffered a deltoid ligament rupture, according to Rapoport. While that sounds catastrophic, he and the Giants avoided a worst-case scenario. The 23-year-old underwent successful surgery and should only require about six months to recover. That would put Skattebo on track for OTAs and minicamp, which would be a positive outcome for him and the team.