Malik Nabers, the New York Giants' wide receiver, must pass a significant hurdle in his recovery from a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) before he can be cleared for the team's Week 1 regular season game. Nabers has been practicing in team periods for two consecutive days, a first in his rehabilitation process.
During training camp drills on Tuesday, Nabers made a leaping catch while two defensive backs maintained distance, adhering to a team directive not to make contact with the star receiver. Nabers is currently in a red, noncontact jersey, and head coach John Harbaugh indicated that he will not immediately advance to playing in the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
"He won’t go through the rest of the summer in a red jersey," Harbaugh stated. "He’s going to have to get bumped around and hit and fronted up. You just have to feel that and know how to deal with it to protect yourself."
Harbaugh explained that the team utilizes specific protocols to assess risk factors during practice, which inform Nabers' workload. While Nabers received more repetitions on Tuesday compared to Monday, he "handled it well."
"I’ve always been hopeful that he would play in [Week 1 of] the regular season," Harbaugh added. "Still don’t know for sure, so we just have to see where we go day to day."
In other team news, the Giants released wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster to make room for running back Najee Harris. Smith-Schuster had struggled to gain traction in a competitive receiving corps and had a knee injury. He did manage a toe-tapping touchdown catch when healthy.
Harbaugh also discussed protocols for joint practices with the Miami Dolphins, emphasizing player safety. He noted that there is a heightened focus on protecting opposing quarterbacks and preventing close contact. "Nobody can get close to the quarterback. That’s going to be a major point of emphasis," Harbaugh said. The team aims to avoid players leaving their feet and to prevent blindside hits, focusing on front-up tackling. The objective is to ensure players protect both their own teammates and their opponents.