New York Giants star wide receiver Malik Nabers underwent a second surgery on his right knee earlier in the offseason.
Nabers’ timeline to return has been blurry, but the star is now rumored to be fully healthy as soon as Week 1. The route runner originally tore his ACL during Week 4 of the 2025 campaign against the Los Angeles Chargers, but Nabers would prove to be a massive boost to the Giants’ offense should he truly be ready to go in September.
On Thursday, head coach John Harbaugh revealed an update as to where Nabers currently stands in his rehab process, with Harbaugh remaining optimistic that the wideout could return at some point during training camp.
“He’s in the middle of it,” Harbaugh said. “He’s in the middle of it; it’s such a hard thing. It’s an ACL, and whatever else he had in that knee. Not a simple knee, so he’s in the slog of it, in the grind of it, I would say. He’s fighting through it, and he’s here every day.
“It’s impossible to predict, but the goal is for him to start the season and get out there sometime in training camp. That would be the goal, but let’s see what happens. If he’s out there, great. If he’s not out there, great. We will be ready to go either way, but I know he’s fighting like crazy and doing his best to be out there.”
Harbaugh was then asked how Nabers has handled his entire rehab process.
“I can’t speak for him; it’s probably the first time he’s been hurt like this. In my experience with guys, the first time you have a serious injury, it’s tough. It’s tough because it’s new for them,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a new process. Our job is to stay close to them and stay with them, and his job is to trust and work hard. He’s doing his job, and our trainers and doc’s are doing their job.”
Nabers could post some of the top receiving numbers in all of football should he prove to be fully healthy in 2026. Harbaugh’s update is very promising moving forward, and if Nabers can participate during training camp, he would more than likely be ready to go early on in the season.
The Giants will begin the 2026 campaign against the Dallas Cowboys on September 13, as Nabers will look to suit up for the first time in almost a year.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants’ John Harbaugh reveals goal for WR Malik Nabers
Reporting by Jake Boico, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
