Wide receiver Malik Nabers has shared a major injury update on his comeback to the New York Giants. The player who has been on the injured reserve since late September is taking a careful approach to his ACL recovery. While ACL injuries typically have a recovery timeline of nine months, Nabers will only return to the field when his body allows him to. It makes his timeline worth watching closely.

“The target date is when my body feels ready…” Nabers said, via injury expert Deepak Chona’s post on X. “If my body doesn’t feel right, I won’t be out there.”

Chona backed Malik Nabers’ vague remarks about his comeback by highlighting that the player was recently seen wearing a brace and using a crutch nearly two and a half months after the surgery. According to him, the situation stands out because injured players usually begin moving without support much earlier. While it’s far too early to speculate about Week 1 availability, he believes the situation suggests there may be mental hurdles in the physical recovery.

Meanwhile, Nabers tore his Achilles tendon earlier this season during the Giants’ 21-18 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He was attempting a deep pass along the right side when he grabbed his right knee before landing on the turf. As the 22-year-old grimaced in pain, his teammates rushed to his side with medical staff tending to him.

He eventually left on a cart, and an MRI report later confirmed his torn ACL, which kept him out for the remaining season. After a month, Nabers successfully underwent surgery, allowing swelling to go down and strength to return before the procedure. 

“Successfully healed. Successfully operated on,” he said in October. “But it’s going to take a little bit of time for everybody. My injury is different from somebody else. My body reacts different. I was walking with a cane before I could see a doctor. Then they told me I could get off it. So now I don’t got to do it. Just taking precautions to make sure the injury is healed.”

Before the injury, he had recorded 18 catches for 271 yards and two scores. Just last season, he set a franchise rookie record with 109 catches for 1,204 yards. While the team has leaned on others in his absence, it surely misses his impact. For now, Malik Nabers is taking his sweet time to heal while the Giants remain hopeful about him.

The Giants weigh in on Malik Nabers’ recovery

On January 24, the Giants’ general manager Joe Schoen addressed the media following new head coach John Harbaugh’s press conference. While he refrained from locking in an exact deadline, he sounded optimistic about Nabers’ return. 

“Malik is trending to hopefully be ready for training camp,” he said. “Things can change … but that’s the hope.”

Meanwhile, Harbaugh hasn’t met the receiver in person yet, but they did connect over the phone. Turns out, their first conversation left a powerful impression on the coach. He praised Nabers’ hard work while revealing that he is currently training and rehabbing in Los Angeles. 

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“…Saw him coming out (of LSU). He wasn’t a guy we had a chance for, so it was like, ‘Well, look at this guy, he’s really good,’” he said. “Just kind of a dream. I figured we might have to cover him someday, and here we are, we get a chance to coach him. So I’m really excited about it.”

Further, Schoen also shared a promising update about young running back Cam Skattebo. He revealed Skattebo will likely join the team’s offseason workout program in early April. The 23-year-old dislocated his ankle during the Week 8 road game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He underwent surgery that same night at a local hospital and was released the following day. 

While Malik Nabers’ recovery remains uncertain, Skattebo’s swift recovery offers some hope for the Giants ahead of the 2026 season.