Nabers Exits Practice Early, But John Harbaugh Says There "Was No Injury"

As if any further proof was needed regarding the culture shift under New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh regarding the elimination of the “scholarships” that might have previously been enjoyed by some players based on draft status or contract, ask assistant general manager Brandon Brown.

Brown, who spoke to the media before the team’s practice on Wednesday, was asked about the seemingly more rapid pace in which injured players have been returning to practice.

The reason, in a nutshell, is they don’t want to be “Wally Pipped.”

“Guys don't want to miss practice because they understand the floor is being raised and you missing practice is an opportunity, frankly, for someone else to take your job, and you see it in real time,” Brown said.

“It's not just lip service. You've seen rotations of players getting reps with the ones, now getting reps with the twos, guys that were fringed twos now getting reps with the ones. It's really making those daily deposits, and like I said, earning the right.

“When Coach (Harbaugh) says earn the right, look no further. It's earning the trust of the coaches, your teammates, and the building. Know that, listen, you can handle the job description. It's not that you physically look like the job description. It’s ‘Can you handle it and process it and execute it?’”

Previous head coaches took a different approach to injuries. Still, since Harbaugh’s arrival, he has given everyone a clean slate, with the understanding that it’s up to them what they do with it, and that it doesn’t matter what their prior status was in getting to the team.

Harbaugh’s approach also extends to the front office and, in particular, the scouting staff, according to Brown.

“Harbs makes you earn it,” Brown said. “When you go into a team meeting room, first thing you see is a big sign on the back wall that says, ‘Earn the Right.’ It's right in front of the room, and it just doesn't extend to players.

“It's for staff, and it's about understanding that a good idea can come from anywhere. The way that Harbs seeks and solicits opinions keeps you on your A-game.”

In short, it’s all about being proactive so that, should something unexpected happen, the Giants are not left scrambling.

“We have all of our contingency plans ready to go, and we understand what the marketplace looks like, and if it's something that comes about that we're not a part of, we've done our due diligence, but we're never going to sit on our hands. Again, it's staying ready, so we don't have to get ready,” Brown said.

Malik Nabers Walks Off Field Before the End of Practice

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

Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers, who has been a consistent participant in practices as he continues his rehab from a torn ACL, caused a tinge of panic when he was spotted walking off the field with a trainer with about 20 minutes to go in the session.

Head coach John Harbaugh said afterward that Nabers’s early exit was not planned, but quickly added that he didn’t think it was injury-related because he would have been immediately notified if that had been the case.

“It wasn't part of the plan,” Harbaugh said, referring to the trainers’ plan for Nabers. “I'll find out what was going on. I'm sure it's something with the trainers. There's no injury. We talk afterward—we always get the injury report right after, and there was no talk about Malik that way.”

That Nabers walked off the field under his own power is a positive in an otherwise concerning situation. Nabers, who went through his first contact drills this week after being cleared to come out of the red “no contact” jersey, wasn’t expected to play on Friday night against the Jets anyway.

In addition, the receiver will be able to get in at least three days of rest between now and the next time the team practices, which is Sunday, as the Giants have a walkthrough on Thursday, the game on Friday, and then a day off on Saturday.

The Giants are keeping their fingers crossed that Nabers is ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.

OBJ Making a Strong Push

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

Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. began the week with a 50/50 chance of making the 53-man roster. But between the season-ending ACL injury to Calvin Austin III and Beckham’s own hard work, he’s probably closer to having a 95% chance of avoiding the Turk on Sunday.

“I think Odell's had a good camp,” Harbaugh said. “I would say his best week of camp has come this week. He's looked good and made numerous plays, and just like you saw, even today, made numerous plays, so he's doing well.”

Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who spoke to the media on Tuesday, said that Beckham has been doing well in camp and is starting to grasp the finer intricacies of the playbook.

“Odell got here towards the end of OTA’s and, I mean, really didn't know anything. He's just trying to get out here and physically show that he can make plays. And we all know who Odell was and what we want him to be. We get back here in training camp, and every day he's getting more and more reps, and he's starting to understand within our system,” Nagy said.

“The biggest thing with him, though, is just being able to really stay focused and locked in on the details of the specifics, whether it's a formation, a route depth, a conversion, a blocking assignment. To be a great wide receiver nowadays, you've got to be able to adjust post-snap, and you've got to be able to know where to line up. And so that's a process. He's been very patient, and I'm proud of where he's at.”

Injury Update

Tight end Theo Johnson is dealing with a shoulder issue that kept him out of practice. Fellow tight end Tanner Conner was also held out of practice.

Given that the Giants just added tight end Josiah Deguara to the roster, that could be an indication that one or both of Johnson and Conner will not be available for Friday night’s preseason finale.

Defensive lineman Shelby Harris did not take part in team drills. Harbaugh said that the team is just managing the 35-year-old defensive lineman’s workload.

Receiver Jalin Hyatt remains sidelined with a leg/ankle injury. Hyatt, whose chances of making the roster weren’t very strong to begin with, has been sidelined most of the training camp and appears to be heading to IR.

Offensive linemen Francis Mauigoa (stinger) and Jermaine Eluemunor (undisclosed) both returned to practice.

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