The New York Giants finally got a piece of good news about Malik Nabers. The star wide receiver was not among the three players the team placed on the physically unable to perform list Thursday, a sign he could be trending toward a Week 1 return.
Defensive linemen Roy Robertson-Harris and Sam Roberts, along with tight end Thomas Fidone II, landed on the PUP list as the Giants get ready for training camp in West Virginia. Nabers did not join them. According to ESPN, a source said Nabers is not expected to begin camp on the PUP list, a detail first reported by Jordan Raanan.
Staying off the list matters. It means Nabers won’t be limited once camp drills start, even if the Giants ease him in slowly. Landing on PUP would have signaled a much longer runway back. Avoiding it doesn’t.
A Long Road Back From a Torn ACL
Nabers tore his ACL and damaged his meniscus in Week 4 last season, ending his year early. He needed a full repair, then required a second, separate procedure this offseason to clean up scar tissue that was limiting his mobility. He did not participate in the Giants’ offseason workout program.
Giants head coach John Harbaugh has been careful not to overpromise. He described Nabers’ knee injury as “not simple” and said the receiver was in the “slog” of his rehab as recently as this spring. General manager Joe Schoen struck a more optimistic tone, telling reporters he still believes Nabers will be fine for the opener.
USA Today’s Art Stapleton framed Thursday’s PUP news in similarly measured terms. He posted on X: “Malik Nabers is not one of them. Neither is Cam Skattebo” — https://x.com/art_stapleton
Both threads point the same direction: nothing is guaranteed, but the trajectory has turned.
Why Nabers’ Health Changes Everything for the Offense
New York rebuilt its receiver room around the assumption that Nabers might not be full speed right away. Darius Slayton and Calvin Austin III return, and the Giants added Odell Beckham, Darnell Mooney, and JuJu Smith-Schuster this offseason, plus third-round rookie Malachi Fields.
None of them replicate what Nabers does. He’s the receiver who forces safeties to shade a coverage, who turns a broken play into a chunk gain. Without him at full strength, the Giants’ passing attack has a ceiling. With him, quarterback Jaxson Dart gets a true No. 1 to build around, and the entire operation looks different.
| Player | 2025 Status | 2026 Camp Status |
|---|---|---|
| Malik Nabers | Torn ACL, Week 4 (season-ending) | Not on PUP list |
| Cam Skattebo | Fractured ankle (season-ending) | Not on PUP list |
| Thomas Fidone II | Foot injury, cleanup surgery in June | On PUP list |
What Comes Next
Giants veterans report Tuesday, and the team travels to West Virginia for the start of camp. The Giants are expected to bring Nabers along gradually rather than throw him into every rep right away. How much he’s able to do in team drills over the next few weeks will tell New York — and everyone else — a lot more than Thursday’s PUP list did.
New York opens the regular season on “Sunday Night Football” against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.
