MAY 14: ESPN’s Jordan Raanan confirms this second surgery still has Nabers on course for a return closer to the end of training camp. Week 1 participation will be a question mark for a few more months as a result, although Raanan adds the Giants are still “hopeful” Nabers will be available by that point.
MAY 13: The subject of follow-up surgeries surfaced recently when it was revealed Bo Nix underwent one to address his ankle issue. Malik Nabers is now in the same boat.
Nabers, who suffered an ACL tear in Week 4 of last season, has undergone a second surgery during his knee rehab. This procedure removed scar tissue that had caused stiffness, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reports. Like Nix’s, this is being described as a cleanup operation.
This procedure occurred multiple weeks ago, Duggan adds. Although it is certainly not ideal to need a second surgery, this mid-offseason development is not viewed as one that will alter Nabers’ recovery timeline. That said, Nabers is not expected to be ready for training camp on time. Considering when Nabers went down (Sept. 28), it is notable he is unlikely to avoid the active/PUP list come late July.
The active/PUP list is a camp-only designation that came up involving a key Giant last summer. Andrew Thomas, who went down with a Lisfranc injury in October 2024, was not moved off the active/PUP list until August 19 of last year. While that meant a stay on the reserve/PUP list (and a four-game absence) was off the table, the All-Pro left tackle did not debut until Week 3. Nabers, who needed rehab time on an injured toe during the Giants’ 2025 offseason program, will be a player to monitor with regards to practice participation once pads come on this summer.
During the pre-draft process, the Giants were connected to using one of their top-10 picks on a receiver; Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson came up during Big Blue’s complex runup to the first round. The Titans took Tate fourth overall, and the Giants scooped up a falling Arvell Reese at No. 5. The decision to add yet another pass rusher with a top-10 pick left Tyson on the board, and he went eighth to the Saints. The Giants did address the receiver position by making a 31-spot jump (via the Browns) for Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields in Round 3.
A rumor indicating the Giants’ receiver interest may be partially due to Nabers not expected to be 100% by Week 1 surfaced. While I contended at the time such a protection measure would be a misguided use of a top-10 pick, Nabers’ timeline will be one to follow in the coming months. The Giants still roster Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt, though the latter has disappointed after being a 2024 third-round pick. The team signed Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin in March. Slayton is also recovering from offseason surgery.
I really hope this kid doesn’t become one of those stories of a really talented and potentially dominant player who can’t stay healthy.
On a side note, will Jalin Hyatt EVER put it together? This dude was a monster in college. If he’s not careful, he could find himself WR4 even with Nabers and Slayton on the shelf.
Lets hope these receivers, including Nabers, can buy into the coaching of Harbaugh/Callahan? Nabers is young and should overcome his setbacks but does he really desire playing for the Giants? Wins will help him stay focused but the other receivers will have to step up as well and I feel Likely could benefit the most, if others get injured or cant meet expectations.
Any player on the Giants has one choice to remain with the team which is completely “buying in” to HC Harbaugh and his assistants…period….Harbaugh is the boss and has already stated very clearly that you either want to be a Giant or not and if not, he will gladly accommodate your request to not be with the team and find players who do…..Nabors included…..
Cliff note summary for Gmen: injured #1’s QB, RB, WR with an old HC living off SB glory from over a decade ago.
That’s your prediction? The injuries were last season.
Yep. That’s my prediction.
They will be better than last year. I think they’ll be around .500. This injury news on Nabers isn’t anything concerning. Skattebo will be back, better OL to protect Dart. Most importantly, a competent coaching staff and a better defense. Giants had about six games last year that they could have won with a decent coaching staff and a defensive coordinator who wasn’t terrible.
I don’t know. Seems like bad JuJu to make injury predictions. I’d love to seem those 3 stay at least semi-healthy to see what they can do.
You’re not wrong, but the Giants have been cursed since the 2011 Super Bowl anyway, so I’m not worried about jinxing it.
Need to change headline to underWENT second surgery. These clean ups usually happen during rehab. Meaning he was healed and working on his return.