For the first time since last September when he sustained a season-ending ACL injury, New York Giants wide receiver was a full participant in a game week practice on Wednesday afternoon, and is expected to be good to go for the 2026 season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
Facing a young, talented WR of Nabers caliber will be a good test for Dallas’ revamped secondary; he is someone who’s had quite a bit of success against them in the past. In the three games Nabers has played against the Cowboys in his young career, he is averaging nearly 100 receiving yards per game.
As a rookie he caught 12 passes for 115 yards in their first meeting and eight catches for 69 yards in the second. Then in 2025 he caught nine passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns against the Cowboys in Week 2 before his season was cut short to just four games.
Now back to playing status, Nabers will be looking to restart his dominance against the Cowboys in Week 1. The question is, will he be able to do so against a secondary that has been revamped in new defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s image?
Highly regarded for his ability to develop defensive backs in his young coaching career, the 34-year-old Parker wasted no time rebuilding the Cowboys secondary after replacing Matt Eberflus. He added free agents Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke to pair with Malik Hooker on the backend, drafted Caleb Downs to play the ever-important nickel/safety position, and signed Cobie Durant to solidify things at CB with DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel.
Will it pay off though?
From the defensive front to the back end of the secondary, we’ve seen signs of improvement throughout the offseason in organized team activities, training camp practices, and during preseason games from the defense. But, as of yet, we haven’t seen them do it in a meaningful game. That’s going to change when the Cowboys square off against the Giants in Week 1.
Things are expected to improve in New York under John Harbaugh’s tutelage as the new head coach, but it’s unlikely they will be a high-powered offensive unit this season. Still, they are talented enough on the offensive side of the ball to give the Cowboys some problems. Especially with Nabers back in the mix.
That is where the test comes in for Parker’s new defense and their new scheme.
