Giants WR Malik Nabers Won’t Put Timeline on Return from ACL Surgery

Nabers said when his body is right he'll know it.

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers said when he's ready to return from an ACL injury, he'll return. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers is doing well in his rehab from ACL surgery. But as far as when he anticipates getting the green light to return to full activities, that much is still up in the air.

“Target date is when my body feels ready to be out there, and I can continue to be who I am, and my body feels able to, you know, do the things that I was doing before,” he said Monday.

While things are progressing for Nabers, that doesn’t mean it’s been easy. Nabers said he had “a lot messed up in my knee,” adding that the operation he had successfully fixed it. 

“It’s gonna take a little bit of time,” he added.  

Nabers, who attended Sunday’s regular-season finale with the aid of a cane (which he said he no longer needs after having seen the doctor), said he has missed being out there with his teammates.

“It's tough. It's hard, but I feel like for myself I needed this, I needed to get back where I was finding hunger,” he said. “So I feel like this is a blessing in disguise that I don't really see yet.”

Seeking answers

The second-year receiver has also leaned on teammate Jameis Winston, who has a way of seeing the silver lining in most any cloud. Winston, Nabers said, has helped him stay focused on coming back stronger than ever.

“I kept asking him, 'Why did it happen to me?' He was like, ‘Why not you? Why not go back to the bottom, try to find your way back to the top?’  

“So I'm taking that in my mind, putting that in my head, and the attack and rehab as much as I can. You know, doing what I can,” he said.

When he does return, Nabers said he thinks the Giants have some solid pieces to build on, of which he’s a part.

“ I believe there are a few pieces that we need to continue to bring in, but with the pieces that we have now, they've been doing a great job going out there,” he said.

“I feel like we have some more pieces and, you know, we're working towards the right direction.”  

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