Giants WR Malik Nabers Offered Glimpse of Rehab Progress at Weekend Charity Appearance

The star receiver provided a first look at his ACL rehab progress over the weekend through his participation in a charity softball game.

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers, who is on a long road to recovery from an ACL tear suffered in Week 4 of last season, offered just the slightest glimpse into what he seems comfortable doing as far as running.

Nabers, appearing at teammate Brian Burns’ celebrity softball game Saturday night in Pomona, New York, took part in all the scheduled activities, from dodgeball to the home run derby to the game itself.

Malik Nabers homered in his first at bat. Singled in his second. pic.twitter.com/GPYlRKHa2J

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) May 31, 2026

While these games are typically relaxed, Nabers was able to jog around the bases, albeit cautiously, which is certainly a positive sign.

He was also seen backpedaling in the dodgeball game, another positive sign regarding his rehab, though when he threw the ball, he didn’t step into the throw.

This is the most Ive seen Malik Nabers move around since his torn ACL #Giants pic.twitter.com/NScQpydKy2

— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) May 30, 2026

That said, light jogging is just the start. The real test for Nabers, which he didn't put on display in the softball event is whether he can start, stop, and cut as his position requires.

Head coach John Harbaugh recently told reporters that Nabers is working through his recovery from ACL surgery, a process that also included a cleanup on his knee several weeks ago.

Harbaugh didn't sound certain that Nabers would be ready for training camp, which opens in two months.

“It’s such a hard thing. It's an ACL and whatever else he had in that knee. Not a simple knee,” he said.

“So he's in the slog of it, the grind of it. He's fighting through it. He's here every day, working hard at it.”

In addition to the physical aspect of recovery, Nabers has to feel comfortable trusting his knee.

While every player recovering from an ACL tear is different, sometimes building trust in the repaired joint can take longer than the actual physical healing.

That aspect adds to questions about whether Nabers will be ready for the first week of the 2026 regular season.

“Just impossible to predict. I mean, the goal is to start the season and get out there sometime in training camp. That would be the goal,” Harbaugh said.

“We'll see what happens. If he's out there, great. If he's not out there, great. We'll be ready to go either way.”

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