Matt Johnson
New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4 of last season, with the expectation he’d be back on the field well before the start of the 2026 NFL season. It appears that may no longer be the case.
During an appearance on The John Keim Report, Giants’ reporter Jordan Raanan speculated that Nabers might not be back on the field until October.
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It turned out that Nabers’ knee surgery wasn’t as simple and clean as everyone expected. The former first-round pick needed a follow-up procedure to remove scar tissue, which had previously restricted movement in the knee and he experienced recurring stiffness. As a result of the offseason procedure, the initial timeline for his return to the field was pushed back.
Back in May, Giants head coach John Harbaugh stated that the team hoped Nabers would hit the practice field at some point during training camp. However, per ESPN, the complexity of the injury meant there wasn’t a clear targeted date when he would be back. Outside of that, New York has offered minimal updates on his recovery.
Importantly, Raanan made it clear that this new timeline wasn’t reporting but rather speculation right now. If the timeline proved to be accurate, it would suggest that Nabers would start the regular season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, and that would require him to miss the first four regular-season games.
The Giants’ offense in 2026 was already expected to be run-heavy, with Cam Skattebo coming back and Tyrone Tracy Jr. still expected to play a significant role this fall. If Nabers winds up missing regular-season action, for any length of time, Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III would get more opportunities, with veterans JuJu Smith-Schuster and Odell Beckham Jr. also having a better chance of making the roster.
Of note, New York’s bye week in the 2026 NFL season isn’t until Week 8 in November. Even the worst-case scenario timeline suggests Nabers will be cleared to return well before then so he should be a featured part of the passing attack for a majority of the season once he’s back on the field.
