Why the presence of Malik Nabers is a game changer for the NY Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD - Malik Nabers is no longer seeing red.

Which means the end game for the New York Giants and their star wide receiver is almost upon us.

Nabers took another step toward being in uniform for the first regular season game of the John Harbaugh era in prime time against the Dallas Cowboys by ditching the non-contact jersey and participating in Monday's practice, in turn bringing more optimism to his anticipated return from knee surgery 11 months ago.

While Harbaugh and the Giants have yet to declaratively state that Nabers would be ready to go against the Cowboys in their Sept. 13 showdown on "Sunday Night Football," there is continued reason to believe that will be the case.

"I think it's reasonable to assume that. Those are all kind of things that you can assume," Harbaugh said. "It's just based on watching the guy practice. The only thing I know more than you guys know is what the docs and the trainers tell me, as far as his rehab. And that's doing well. He's doing really well with that. He's strong. He's in a good place, but how he gets through practice, how ready he is to play and protect himself, is really based on practice. You're watching practice, too, and you can see it."

A significant awakening in Nabers' journey back from ACL and meniscus injuries occurred on Monday, Aug. 17 when he participated in 7-on-7 drills for the first time this summer. Nabers leaped into the air, twisting his body to grab the perfect throw from Jaxson Dart - just high enough to clear the daunting presence of rookie inside linebacker Arvell Reese - before controlling the catch and crashing to the ground.

Sure, this was only a completion in a passing drill, but for Nabers and the Giants, the connection between Dart and his No. 1 receiver represented so much more. Nabers spun around and slammed the football down with game-like intensity - not in anger, mind you, but in tremendous anticipation of what's next to come.

"I wasn't upset. It's just that dawg in me is just barking a little bit," Nabers said then with a smile. "It's just barking a little bit. It's just like, 'He’s coming.' That was just a little spark. It was just letting everybody know, 'He's coming, he's waking up a little bit.'"

Nabers’ mindset throughout Giants' training camp has been all about stacking days.

Every practice. Every period. Every rep.

Each and every moment spent with the trainers and coaches, everyone, including Nabers, has been watching and analyzing the way his surgically repaired knee looked and felt as he ran routes and caught passes.

"My soul has been dead for so long just being away from the game," Nabers said, acknowledging his emotional reality and the challenge of fighting the darkness both mentally and physically in recovery. "Just getting out there and having my teammates behind me kind of felt that soul come back to life out there."

The promise of what Nabers and Dart can do together for these Giants moving forward is immeasurable.

Nabers played into the second quarter in Dart's first NFL start on Sept. 28, 2025, against the Chargers before sustaining the knee injury that ended his second season.

"He can change the game at any point and any time the ball is in his hands, there's a chance that he could go for six," Dart said of Nabers. "That's just the type of player that he is. That's the skill sets that he has. So, when you have that on offense, it's game changing."

Two seasons ago, Nabers set a franchise record for receptions in a season (109), not to mention breaking the NFL mark for most catches by a rookie wide receiver with 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games.

As Nabers talked after practice last week about his soul and promised the dawg inside his chest was waiting to be let out, it was easy to fantasize about what's next. At his best, Nabers has a chance to be special - a top of the league playmaker and someone who can galvanize the locker room with an understanding of what his presence means to the organization in the spotlight and on the field.

We will all judge by body language, the smoothness of Nabers' routes and the lack of hesitancy in any of his football movements; ultimately, while we make our own determinations, the Giants' medical team will have the final say. He was further along on Monday than he was last week, and the muscle-memory will continue taking over the more he pushes through the uncertainty.

Nabers was seemingly being overly deliberate with his cuts, in and out of breaks on air early in practice. Then he caught two passes from Dart in three-quarter speed team drills, opening up in space to move between defenders.

He was running the entire route tree at the intermediate level, later making two more grabs, including one on which he left his feet, showing explosiveness with both legs while diving forward to secure the reception.

Star WR Malik Nabers (knee) no longer wearing red non-contact jersey as Giants begin final preseason week in shells.

Looked like Nabers was being overly deliberate with his cuts, in and out of breaks on air. Caught two passes in 3/4 speed team drills, opened up in space. pic.twitter.com/xLfanOx373

With Dart at quarterback, Nabers is unmistakenly the cornerstone of the offense. His talent and game-breaking ability adds so much to a passing game with Nabers and tight end Isaiah Likely serving as a strong 1-2 punch in the NFC East.

And if Nabers is on the field at MetLife Stadium on Opening Night, his presence against the Cowboys can alter the Giants' season right out of the gates.

“I thought he looked good,” Harbaugh said of Nabers. “Moving well, probably the best we’ve seen him."

The Giants are counting on the hope that, with Nabers, the best is still yet to come.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Why the presence of Malik Nabers is a game changer for the NY Giants