Giants WR Malik Nabers Offers Update on His Progress Toward Week 1 Opener

The Giants wide receiver says he's "getting there" in his return from a torn ACL, but he's not ready to say if he'll suit up against the Cowboys in Week 1.

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

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers has made remarkable progress this summer as he continues to approach the finish line of his rehab from a season-ending ACL injury suffered last year.

And while there remains cautious optimism that Nabers will be ready to roll in some capacity at least in the team’s September 13 regular-season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, Nabers still isn’t willing to commit to that being the case.

“My mind is focused on playing the regular season, playing whenever that is and playing what team it is,” he said when asked if he was looking at the Giants opener.

“I'm going to be making sure that I'm ready to go out there and I'm healthy enough to play all four quarters. The main focus is just trying to be out there as much as I can.”

Nabers only recently lost the red jersey, which, of course, is the sign for teammates not to touch him in practice. Head coach John Harbaugh has said that Nabers will need to get into football shape, particularly in terms of contact. 

As part of the team’s overall plan for the third-year receiver, they apparently feel more comfortable with having Nabers get used to contact in the controlled environment among teammates.

Nabers, who declined to specify what remaining milestones he needs to accomplish between now and the opener,  did, however, offer a very encouraging update.

“I feel really good, to be honest,” he said. “But you're going to feel good, but there are still some things that you still have to check off the box for you to participate. So, I'm still going through that, still listening to the trainers, still listening to doctors and sharing everything with them.”

Even though he has made strides toward returning, Nabers reiterated that no decision has been made regarding his status.

“That would be a decision that would be made when that time comes,” he said. “I might look like I'm one hundred percent. I make everything look well. I mean, sometimes I run routes, and I look on the internet, and I'm like, ‘Dang, I was moving kind of crazy.’

“But when you're in your body and you're in it, you still have some things that you still got to work on as a football player that you got to be like, ‘I don't feel right doing this cut, I don't feel right, I haven't been hit, I haven't seen this.’

“So, it's certain things that you have to prepare for before you go into a game mentally.”

And how close is he to being at that point?

”I'm getting there for sure,” he said. “I'm getting there. I feel like when I get out there, I feel like I'll be better than what I was before.”

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