Nabers Is Practicing. He's Still Questionable. That Gap Is the Story.

Malik Nabers returned to practice on July 29 after missing most of 2025 with a torn ACL, and by mid-August he was taking live team reps. That's the good news. The other news is that he came out of the preseason opener on August 15 with a Questionable tag still attached, which means the Giants are heading into Week 1 without a clear answer on whether their most talented receiver will be available.

The situation matters more than it would for most teams because the receiver room behind Nabers is thin. Wan'Dale Robinson was the one reliable option last season, and Odell Beckham Jr. has taken meaningful camp reps, but Beckham is 33 and returning from his own extended absence. My piece from August 13 noted the Giants were building toward a power-running identity, and that's still the plan — Tyrone Tracy, Devin Singletary, and now Najee Harris give them real ground-game options. But a run-first offense still needs a credible passing threat to keep defenses honest, and right now that threat is listed as Questionable.

If Nabers plays and holds up, the offense has a different ceiling. If he doesn't, Robinson carries the passing game largely on his own against a Week 1 defense that will know exactly what's coming. That's not a crisis, but it's a real constraint — and for a team that went 4–13 last year and is trying to establish something new under John Harbaugh, starting the season without your best skill player would be a frustrating way to begin.