New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers has demonstrated a notable improvement in his physical capabilities and game performance following his recovery from ACL surgery. This 'massive jump,' as described by offensive coordinator Mike Nagy, has coaches taking notice.
"There is a difference between the way Malik Nabers looked the first two weeks in his first action since ACL surgery and the way he is more recently presenting himself physically," Nagy stated. "Probably the first week or two you could see he was a little hesitant, which is natural. I haven’t thought about that at all when he’s out there playing now. To me, that’s a massive jump."
Nabers' enhanced performance was evident in the Giants' recent 27-27 tie against the Commanders. He was targeted a career-high 20 times, securing 11 receptions for 121 yards and scoring the game-tying touchdown pass from Jameis Winston.
The frequency of Nabers' targets had been a point of discussion leading up to the game, with Nabers expressing a desire for more involvement. When asked if Nabers was satisfied with 20 targets, Nagy humorously responded, "He’s full of crap. He knew. He’s funny, man." Nagy also mentioned raising the bar for Nabers, referencing Puka Nacua's 27 targets in a recent game. "We got to get more now," Nagy added with a smile. "We’ll see. You can’t sucker me into those questions."