Harbaugh hopeful – Giants GM Joe Schoen expects Malik Nabers to play in the season opener on Sept. 13, but coach John Harbaugh sounded more cautious—“hopeful” the wide receiver will be back “soon” as he continues rehab from a torn ACL that required a second surgery to remove sca
The Giants are mapping out Sept. 13 like it’s already circled on the calendar. But the closer Malik Nabers comes to the finish line, the more the tone shifts from promise to patience.
General Manager Joe Schoen said this week the team expects Nabers to play in the season opener on Sept. 13. Coach John Harbaugh, however, didn’t sound as definitive. Speaking Wednesday. Harbaugh said he is “hopeful” the wide receiver will be back “soon. ” while also acknowledging that his return will still be a work in progress.
Nabers didn’t participate in the Giants’ mandatory minicamp as he continues his rehab from a torn ACL in his right knee. The injury happened in Week 4 against the Chargers, and he underwent surgery Oct. 28. Harbaugh said the receiver’s plan is to be around the team—“most of the time. almost all the time he’ll be here. ” Harbaugh said Wednesday—without suggesting he’ll be at full availability right away.
“I don’t think he will be here all the time,” Harbaugh said. “He’s going to be here a lot, working really hard. He’s making really good progress right now. I’m very hopeful that he’ll be back soon.”
Harbaugh also made clear that even when Nabers returns, he won’t be arriving fully finished. “Also. understand when you come back from a knee. he’ll be back. and he’ll still be building his way back to his ultimate full-strength self. But he’s doing great,” the coach said. “He’s doing a great job. He’s made some real good progress in the last few weeks.”.
The rehab isn’t just about time on a calendar. Nabers’ ACL tear required a second surgery this offseason. Harbaugh previously said the injury was “not simple. ” and the follow-up procedure was a cleanup surgery after Nabers had been experiencing stiffness. The scar-tissue removal is part of why the return timeline has carried extra weight.
Asked Wednesday about where Nabers sits in the process, Harbaugh described it as grinding work. “It’s a slog; it’s a grind. He’s still in the middle of it,” he said. “He’s probably not in the middle of it now. He’s probably maybe 70 percent through. I don’t know, something like that, 80 percent through.”.
Harbaugh added that even once he’s playing, the work continues. “He’s still grinding. It’s going to be a grind when he starts playing again, too, to get back right.”
If the Giants’ expectations are going to line up with the recovery reality, it could mean a cautious start. It seems likely Nabers will begin camp on active/physically unable to perform as his rehab continues.
The tension inside the facility is clear: Schoen’s Sept. 13 outlook is optimistic, but Harbaugh’s language leaves room for the kind of setbacks that don’t show up on injury reports—only in the daily rhythm of getting back to full strength.
Malik Nabers New York Giants John Harbaugh Joe Schoen torn ACL scar tissue surgery Sept. 13 season opener Chargers NFL injury update