Giants Notebook: Malik Nabers' Camp Absence Is 'Part of the Process,' Not a Setback

Before anyone gets too worked up about New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers not taking part in the third practice of summer training camp, take a deep breath.

Nabers’ absence isn’t due to any setbacks. Rather, it was, per head coach John Harbaugh, “part of the process” that the medical staff has for the third-year receiver to help him get as close to the finish line for Week 1 as possible.

“I'd say it's part of the process. Just got to go work through it,” said Harbaugh. “Every single day will be what it is, that given day. He’s working real hard. Made a lot of progress, and that's what we decided to do today.”

Nabers has spent the last two days working for approximately 20 or so minutes each. Harbaugh has already said that it will be a while before the receiver goes through a full practice, which is smart given how Nabers has been away from the game for nine months after suffering a torn ACL.

Nabers, who told reporters on Thursday that there is no target date for his return, remains optimistic about how his rehab has been going and has kept a positive attitude as he works his way back.

“I think I've attacked this rehab as I'm trying to get better every day,” he said. “No day is different. I'm outworking the day before and try to improve on a matter of just getting back healthy.”

When he does come back, Nabers’ goal is to build on what he accomplished during what he called his “basic” rookie season.

“I got extreme confidence in myself. I'm not going to put myself in any spot where I feel like I'm not going to be better than what I was before. So, I don't see myself being what I was before.

“I got high standards for myself. I know everybody has high standards for me also. But the standard that I hold myself to is very high. I feel like whatever standard that I hold myself to, you'll see sooner or later.”

Here is what else happened during the Giants’ third practice at The Greenbrier.

Darius Alexander Makes the Play of the Day

Jul 30, 2026; White Sulphur Springs, WV, USA; New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) and New York Giants defensive tackle Darius Alexander (91) drill during training camp at The Greenbrier Resort Sports Performance Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Second-year defensive lineman Darius Alexander has been working with the starting defense since the spring, a move that some at first thought might be a result of veterans Sam Roberts, Shelby Harris, and Leki Fotu not being readily available for media-open practices.

It turns out that the coaches not only like what they’ve seen of Alexander on film, they believe that the former Toledo star might just be ready for a larger role.

On the last play of Friday’s practice, Alexander made a spectacular pick on a pass after dropping back into coverage and then immediately fell on the ball to protect it rather than try to advance it.

“That's a heck of a catch, very athletic play, game winner,” Harbaugh said of the play. “The thing I probably liked about it the most was the fact that he caught it and got down right away.

“That's a game winner. He didn’t put the ball at risk, and then the defense wins the game. That's what you want to try to do in that situation.”

Alexander has been a player flying under the radar going back to the spring, but really shouldn’t be. While he did get off to a slow start in his rookie season because of an undisclosed ailment that caused him to miss last year’s OTAs and minicamps, the team’s third-round draft pick last year came on strong in the back end of the season.

Per Pro Football Reference, from Week 11 onward, Alexander saw increased reps, recording three of his 3.5 sacks, 11 of his 20 tackles, one of his two quarterback knockdowns, and seven of his eleven quarterback pressures over that span.

Alexander is looking to lock up the starting 3-tech spot next to nose guard D.J. Reader this summer. If he keeps making plays as he did in practice, he’s going to make the coaches’ decision a lot easier.

Skattebo Promises No More Backflips in Camp

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Giants running back Cam Skattebo has been in the news lately more so for his backflips than anything else. And those backflips have been a source of consternation for general manager Joe Schoen and for Harbaugh, both of whom have spoken to Skattebo about being more careful about putting himself at risk and the optics of his actions.

“Yeah, I mean, obviously I do some dumb things here and there, but I learn from it,” Skattebo said when asked what he took from the conversations with Schoen and Harbaugh. “My coach talked to me, told me how he felt, and I learned from it. And will I do that backflip again? Probably not. We live, and we learn, and we move on.”

So does that mean the end of the backflips?

“When game time comes around, we'll see what game time comes around. But right now, we're focused on training camp, and we'll keep the back flips off the field for now.”

What about down the line?

“People say I'm the people's guy, so I'm going to continue to be the people's guy,” he said.

“I'm going to continue to be who I am and hopefully make everybody happy around me and continue to be positive. If a kid wants a backflip, he'll see the backflip when it's touchdown time.”

Abdul Carter Sets a Goal

New York Giants linebacker Abdul Carter (3) and linebacker Trace Ford (48) participates in drills during organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Giants outside linebacker Abdul Carter is off to a strong start to camp, but rather than gloat over his solid start, he’s continuing to keep his head down and do what needs to be done.

“We're just trying to stack days,” he said. “The whole defense, our whole message is just keep being consistent. Be consistent, be consistent. Day in, day out, keep getting better.”

Carter has done that so far, making a practice of living in the Giants' offensive backfield on practically every rush. And as his confidence continues to grow, Carter is starting to eye specific goals for the year ahead, specifically Defensive Player of the Year.

For that to happen, Harbaugh said Carter is going to need to be more consistent in his game.

“I don't think I have to say much to him. You have a conversation, and he's telling me that's what he wants to do. ‘What does it take?’ Come out here every day and do everything well all the time. That's what he's chasing. Chase perfection,” Harbaugh said of how he’s helping Carter reach his goals.

“Can you achieve perfection? Maybe not all the time, but you can certainly do it some of the time. Perfect meal, perfect date, perfect day, beautiful day out here. It probably is a perfect day. You can have a perfect play. We can have perfect plays; that's what he's chasing.”

Another Rough Day for the Offense

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the second day in a row, the Giants' offense looked to have its struggles against the defense, which, to be frank, is normal for this stage in training camp given the lack of pads and live contact, both of which give the defense the advantage.

But quarterback Jaxson Dart continues to do well in his understanding of the offense and his execution, according to Harbaugh.

“I think he's done a great job,” he said. “It's just one day at a time. There's so much. You can't even imagine how much there is for a quarterback to operate with, especially in a new offense.

“There's so much on his plate. He's pushing the envelope. He's also competing at the same time. He's a fiery guy. I'm impressed.”

Additional Notes

Tight end Tanner Conner left practice early with an undisclosed ailment. Harbaugh said he didn’t know what the injury was but added that he didn’t think it was a serious matter.
Ben Sauls went 6-of-8 on his field goal attempts on the day. Dominic Zvada did not kick.

Up Next

The Giants are set to hit the practice field on Saturday, the final day of the mandatory acclimation period. Saturday also marks the annual league-wide “Back Together” campaign. The practice will run from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

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