Malik Nabers 'looked good' in surprising full practice as Giants kick off training camp in West Virginia
Malik Nabers, the New York Giants' top wide receiver, took a full part in practice on Wednesday at the team's training camp at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, a notable step forward in his recovery from a serious knee injury that cut his 2024 season short.
Nabers, a 2024 first-round draft pick, tore his ACL and suffered a full meniscus tear in Week 4 of last season while jumping for a pass during quarterback Jaxson Dart's first career start. The injury silenced the crowd at MetLife Stadium as Nabers clutched his knee and was carted off the field. Following the initial tear, he had to wait for swelling to subside before undergoing surgery. Then, in the spring, he had a second procedure to remove scar tissue from the same knee and address stiffness he was experiencing.
The question of whether Nabers would be ready for the start of the 2025 season had hung over the Giants throughout the offseason. The fact that he was not placed on the physically unable to perform list when camp began suggested he was trending in the right direction, and his full participation in Wednesday's practice appeared to confirm that progress.
"It was great. You saw him. He looked good," said Giants head coach John Harbaugh, who was hired in the offseason. "He's got a process going. Thought he looked good."
General manager Joe Schoen, who also attended practice at The Greenbrier, said the organization is taking a measured approach with Nabers and declined to put a specific timeline on his return. "We've got a really good plan for him," Schoen said. "The medical staff has a really good plan for him, and we're going to always say listen to the patients. So, we're going to see how he reacts. We got a good plan in place, so as long as everything goes as planned, we'll listen to Malik and his body. And, again, hopefully he'll be ready and we'll see how it plays out. But no predictions right now, just because we have a long way to go. Still a lot of camp."
Nabers spent the summer in New Jersey working with the Giants' medical team on his rehabilitation, a routine the team hopes will help him return at full strength.
Dart, who celebrated Nabers' 23rd birthday on Instagram on Wednesday, was back on the field throwing to his top receiver and spoke enthusiastically about the connection. "He definitely has a presence about him," Dart said. "There's an aura that he has on the field that is exhilarating. It makes me happy. It makes everybody happy just to see him out there. I think for him, he's had a lot of positives. We're just going to continue to get him in slowly. He's doing a great job with how he's attacking his recovery. I've got all the confidence in the world in him and his approach to the game, how much he's missed being out there with the guys. I think it's definitely, for him — I don't want to speak for him too much, but I just think it's a really good feeling for him to just be out there with the team and to be involved."
With training camp just getting underway, the Giants will continue to monitor Nabers closely, and it remains unclear whether he will be available for Week 1 or the early part of the regular season.