The New York Giants got the news they were hoping for as training camp opened: Malik Nabers is not on the physically unable to perform list. For a team that’s spent months bracing for the worst on its top receiver’s knee, that’s real progress.
According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, Nabers is not expected to begin camp on the PUP list. Raanan also posted the update directly on X: “Malik Nabers (knee) is not on the PUP list to start training camp. That’s a good sign,” he wrote —
Malik Nabers(knee) is not on the PUP list to start training camp. That's a good sign.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) July 23, 2026
It doesn’t mean Nabers is fully healthy. It means he can practice without restriction, which is the first real hurdle on the road back.
A Long Road Back From a Torn ACL
Nabers tore the ACL in his right knee in Week 4 last season, going down awkwardly after trying to haul in a pass from quarterback Jaxson Dart against the Los Angeles Chargers. He needed a full meniscus repair in the original surgery, then a second procedure this offseason to clean out scar tissue that was causing stiffness, according to Big Blue View.
That second surgery pushed back his timeline and had the Giants publicly hedging for weeks. Head coach John Harbaugh called it “not a simple knee” injury back in May, per ESPN, and said at the time it was “impossible to predict” when Nabers would be ready.
Nabers sat out the entire mandatory minicamp. Missing the PUP list now is the clearest signal yet that the rehab has turned a corner.
What the Giants Announced
The Giants placed three players on the PUP list ahead of camp: defensive linemen Roy Robertson-Harris (Achilles) and Sam Roberts, and tight end Thomas Fidone II (foot), according to Bolavip. Nabers’ name wasn’t on it. Neither was receiver Darius Slayton, who also dealt with an offseason absence.
Rookies and quarterbacks reported to the facility Thursday, with veterans following before the team heads to West Virginia for camp. Being off the PUP list means Nabers won’t be restricted once practice starts — and it also means the Giants can’t later shift him to the regular-season PUP list, which would have cost him the first four games of the year.
| Season | Games | Receptions | Yards | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 (Rookie) | 17 | 109 | 1,204 | 7 |
| 2025 | 4 | 18 | 271 | 2 |
Nabers made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2024 before the injury cut his second season to four games. When he’s on the field, he’s shown he can win against any coverage the NFL throws at him — physical after the catch, sudden out of his breaks, a matchup problem regardless of scheme.
Why This Matters for Week 1
Missing the PUP list doesn’t erase the uncertainty. Harbaugh has been careful not to over-promise, and rehab from a knee with this much work done on it rarely follows a straight line. But it does keep alive a real chance Nabers plays in the season opener — a Sunday night home game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 13.
Until Nabers is fully cleared, the Giants have options. Slayton, Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III give Dart a veteran receiving corps, and running back Cam Skattebo and tight end Isaiah Likely add underneath targets. It’s a group that can function without Nabers — just not at the same ceiling.
The bigger point of this update isn’t that Nabers is ready. It’s that nothing has gone wrong. For a player and a team that have spent nearly a year managing a complicated knee, that’s exactly the kind of quiet good news camp openers are made of.
