Malik Nabers hit another important benchmark in his recovery from a major knee injury, losing the red non-contact jersey for Monday’s practice.
Wearing the regular white practice jersey, the Giants’ No. 1 wide receiver took part in a good amount of 7-on-7 reps and a handful of 11-on-11.
Nabers’ highlights included a leaping catch out of a curl route on a low throw from quarterback Brandon Allen, demonstrating some explosiveness.
He also caught passes from Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston. On one rep, Nabers was unable to come down with a high pass from Dart.
“He was moving well,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “Probably the best we’ve seen him look.”
Asked about Nabers being ready for Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 13, Harbaugh was non-committal but said, “It’s reasonable to assume that.”
Whether Nabers is indeed cleared for that season opener at MetLife Stadium will come down to “how he gets through practice” and how he “protects himself,” Harbaugh said.
Nabers is working his way back from the season-ending right knee injury he suffered on Sept. 28 in a Week 4 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
The 23-year-old Nabers underwent surgery on Oct. 28 for a torn ACL and meniscus, then had a second procedure in the spring to clean up scar tissue that had caused stiffness.
All of that prompted offseason speculation about the status of Nabers’ recovery. But Monday’s development continued an encouraging training camp for Nabers, who returned to live team reps last week.
“My soul has been dead for so long just being away from the game,” Nabers said last week. “So just getting out there and having my teammates behind me, I kind of felt that soul come back to life out there.”
Drafted by the Giants out of LSU with the No. 6 overall pick in 2024, Nabers was a revelation as a rookie, hauling in 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns.
He had 18 catches for 271 yards and two touchdowns in four games last year before the injury.
A healthy Nabers would be a huge boon for the second-year quarterback Dart and for a transformed Giants team that, after a 4-13 season, seeks to compete this year under the newly hired Harbaugh.
Nabers is the headliner of a wide receiver corps that returns Darius Slayton and that added Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin via free agency and third-round pick Malachi Fields in the draft.
The Giants also signed versatile tight end Isaiah Likely to a three-year, $40 million contract and reunited with 33-year-old fan favorite Odell Beckham Jr., who is fighting for a roster spot.
But none of them offer nearly the upside or command the same level of defensive attention as Nabers, who was a Pro Bowler as a rookie and set the Giants’ single-season record for receptions that year.
“The most important thing is my health,” Nabers said last week. “The most important thing is just completing every milestone that they have in front of me, giving good effort, continuing to come out here, be a great teammate to my teammates.”
