Malik Nabers Had a Second Knee Surgery, and Giants Fans Should Be Worried About Week 1
Malik Nabers had a second knee surgery, and the New York Giants are still hoping he’ll be ready for Week 1. Hoping is doing a lot of work in that sentence.
Nabers originally tore his ACL and meniscus during the Giants’ Week 4 win over the Chargers last season. That’s a brutal injury combination for any player, but especially one who plays receiver, where explosion and cuts are everything. He had his initial procedure in October.
Now, multiple reports confirm he recently underwent a second procedure to remove scar tissue that was causing stiffness in the repaired knee. The Giants are calling it a “cleanup” and insisting it doesn’t change his projected recovery timeline. That may be true medically, but it doesn’t exactly inspire confidence either.
Head coach John Harbaugh acknowledged that Nabers’ return timeline likely stretches into training camp and closer to the regular season opener. There’s a real scenario where he starts camp on the active/PUP list, similar to how the team handled Andrew Thomas last year. That means no contact in the early weeks of camp and a final push to get cleared before Week 1.
This matters because Nabers was the most exciting skill player New York had going into 2025 before the injury. As a rookie, he showed first-round ability to stretch the field and create after the catch. The Giants built offensive expectations around him, and losing him last year derailed whatever momentum they were building at the position.
A second surgery, even a minor one, is a legitimate reason for concern. The goal is always to get these players back healthy and whole, not just technically cleared. Right now, the Giants are short on reasons for optimism, and their star receiver’s status is one more uncertainty they don’t need.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
