Odell Beckham Jr. Has Advice for Malik Nabers: Don't Rush It

As Nabers weighs his own Week 1 return from a torn ACL, Beckham — who's been through two of his own — is playing mentor in the Giants' locker room.

Aug 15, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) and wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) slap hands during warm ups before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ahead of the New York Giants opening up the 2026 NFL season against the Dallas Cowboys under the bright lights of MetLife Stadium, one of the compelling storylines remains the status of star wide receiver Malik Nabers and whether he'll play in the Week 1 affair.

Nabers, who has been rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered in Week 4 last season, has made progress throughout the summer, offering encouraging signs that he'll be ready to strap it up for the team's home opener on Sunday night.

Although Nabers has looked good in practice and has taken his full slate of reps this week, questions about his availability still loom.

“My confidence is high, but you have different confidence with a game. You can go out and practice and be able to perform, make plays,” Nabers said this week.

“But in the game, you never know what you're going to see. So, just having 100 percent confidence and making sure I'm not being rushed—making sure the decision is really mine.”

Beckham Knows the Feeling

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Like Nabers, Odell Beckham Jr.'s career got off to a flashy start during his first tenure with the Giants, where he compiled three consecutive 1,300+ yard seasons with 35 touchdowns from 2014-16 and seemed nearly unstoppable once he got the ball in his hands.

Two years later, after he was traded to the Cleveland Browns, the fellow LSU product suffered his first injury setback, tearing his ACL just seven games into the 2020 season, which limited his impact on the team's offense in the remainder of his time there.

Then, in 2021, when he was a member of the eventual Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams, Beckham injured the same knee in the championship game, just after scoring the Rams' first touchdown on a 17-yard reception.

For most players, dealing with such a serious ailment twice would end their careers, but Beckham didn't let the grueling rehab process cap his story. He committed to his recovery and trusted his faith that he would have another chance to write more chapters.

The latest chapter finds him back at the place where it all began, with the organization that drafted him twelve years ago relying on him to lead in John Harbaugh's locker room.

That’s exactly what Beckham has tried to be: a sounding board to his teammates who are looking for advice about anything—and that includes Nabers, whom Beckham has said he’s had conversations with.

“I'm here for him. I'm going to be here for him. I know that's part of the role, which is why I was brought here. I'm just excited for him to get back to what he loves too,” Beckham said.

"The only thing that I've said is there's going to be that bit of fear and anxiety," Beckham said when asked what might be going through his teammate’s mind.

"It's a natural thing. He looks great, but deep down inside, it's a decision for him because at the end of the day, let's say something were to happen again that isn't good, he's the one who's affected. And then his career isn't necessarily in his hands. Teams get to decide between keeping you, and then things could go wrong.”

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ironically, Beckham figures to benefit if Nabers doesn’t play. But the veteran receiver isn’t worried about that; his concern lies with seeing Nabers feel confident enough to go out there when he’s ready and not yield to any external pressure.

“My advice for him is like when you are ready, and you feel it, that's when you come back,” Beckham said.

“At the same point in time, you're not going to feel like your one thousand percent self until some point in the early or middle of the season. It's just something that takes time.

“He's done a great job with his rehab, and whatever decision he makes, everybody in here is going to stand behind him. And I think we're all excited to have him back."

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