New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers has adopted a deliberately vague stance regarding his participation in the team's season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. Nabers, who is nearing a return from an ACL and meniscus tear sustained last September, deflected direct questions about his readiness for the game.
When pressed about revealing his status, Nabers channeled coach John Harbaugh's recent media interactions. Harbaugh had previously expressed frustration with inquiries about player availability, stating, "I’m not going to tell you who is playing in the game. I’m not going to tell you who is starting. I’m not going to tell you what package we have in. I’m not going to tell you what plays we are running. I’m not going to tell you any of that."
Nabers indicated that the final decision on whether he will play rests with him. "They’re leaving the decision up with me," Nabers said. When questioned if the secrecy was a tactic to keep the Cowboys guessing, Nabers responded with a shrug, "By the look on my face, you feel like that’s what it is? I don’t care who I play… I’ll let them know if I’m playing. I’ll let them not know if I’m playing. If you see me out there, you see me out there. If not, you don’t."
He also suggested that a pitch count could be a possibility if he is cleared to play, asserting, "It’s my career and it’s my body. If a pitch count is in the conversation, then I would lead that conversation. That decision would be on me."
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his game status, Nabers, who has participated in full practice sessions three times this week, conveyed his eagerness to return to the field after his lengthy recovery. "I’ve been wanting to play for so long now," he stated. "At the end of the day, I can’t put my career at risk. I got to take that into account. There’s a lot of football that I still have left to play."
However, when asked directly on Thursday if his return was imminent, Nabers concluded, "I’ll let God tell me."