After missing most of the 2025 season due to a knee injury, you could understand why Malik Nabers and the New York Giants are champing at the bit for the young, elite playmaker's return to the field. Monday afternoon might have been the biggest step yet in Nabers' ongoing recovery and in seeing whether he'll be ready for a Week 1 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.
First off, Nabers took the Giants' practice field without wearing the "non-contact" red jersey for the first time all summer. Giants head coach John Harbaugh also noted that Nabers was "probably moving the best we've seen him look." All good signs, to be sure, but they're nothing like what Harbaugh officially said about Nabers' status for Week 1.
While he wouldn't
make a 100 percent guarantee because you never know what could happen between now and the regular season, Harbaugh maintained that “it’s reasonable to assume" Nabers will be full-go for the Giants' first meaningful game.
Hoo boy. Talk about an uplifting update for Big Blue and all of its fans:
John Harbaugh isn’t ready to make any blanket statements on Malik Nabers for Week 1. But he did say for those watching the progress from a distance “it’s reasonable to assume that” barring a setback he’s trending towards being ready for the Cowboys. pic.twitter.com/dMhKOWR2Mb
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) August 24, 2026
The start of the 2026 NFL regular season is still about three weeks away at the time of this writing. Harbaugh is right. A lot could change for Nabers between now and then. But rather than take the pessimist's view, let's say this: Nabers could feasibly even recover better and better over that time period. We'll just have to monitor his status moving forward.
Who is Malik Nabers' backup if he's not ready to play in Week 1?
Veteran receiver Darnell Mooney is listed as Nabers' backup on the Giants' depth chart. Mooney is in his first season with the Giants after spending the last two with the Atlanta Falcons.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: John Harbaugh shared promising update on Malik Nabers' Week 1 status
