The New York Giants want everyone to stay calm. Malik Nabers had a second surgery on his right knee multiple weeks ago to clean up scar tissue, and the team is still telling everyone he is on track to play in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. The pitch is that it was a cleanup procedure. The reality is more complicated.
Nabers tore his ACL last September in a brutal September injury. He had the initial surgery on October 28, performed by Dr. Daniel E. Cooper, the Cowboys team physician and one of the most respected knee specialists in the country. The procedure included a full meniscus repair, which Nabers confirmed to ESPN in February.
The second surgery, which happened a few weeks ago and is just now being reported, was described as a cleanup to remove scar tissue causing stiffness. That is the kind of thing that happens with major knee reconstructions. It is not necessarily a red flag. But it is not nothing either.
The Giants say they remain hopeful Nabers will be ready for the opener. Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll have a vested interest in keeping the optimism flowing. The team needs Nabers as much as any player on the roster needs to be on the field. Without him, the offense has no real WR1, and Russell Wilson has nobody to throw to outside the numbers.
The skepticism is fair. ACL recoveries with full meniscus repair often take longer than the standard nine-month timeline. Coming back in Week 1 of the following season is possible, but it requires everything to go right. A second procedure to address stiffness is not how you draw it up.
The Giants are also coming off a rough draft cycle. They went heavy on defense and the offensive line, banking on Nabers to be the cornerstone of the passing game. If he is not ready, the offense is going to look anemic, and the New York media is going to roast Daboll and Schoen all over again.
Nabers, for his part, has been saying all the right things. He has been working out, posting rehab videos, and projecting confidence. But you cannot fake your way back from a major knee injury. The body either responds to rehab or it does not, and the timeline is going to dictate itself regardless of what the player or team says.
The Giants open the season at home against the Cowboys in Week 1. That is the biggest game of the year before it even kicks off. Losing Nabers for that game would be a brutal start to a season the Giants desperately need to start well. The pressure on Daboll to win games this year is intense.
If Nabers is not ready, the Giants have to find production from somewhere else. Wan’Dale Robinson is a slot receiver. Darius Slayton is a quality complementary piece but not a true WR1. The tight end room has potential but nothing proven. This is a Nabers-or-bust passing attack as currently constructed.
The smart play here is to assume the worst and prepare accordingly. The Giants should be looking at veteran free agent receivers, even at this point in the calendar. A player like a healthy DeAndre Hopkins or Tyler Lockett could be a useful insurance policy if Nabers slips into mid-September or beyond.
Giants fans have been here before. They have been told a player is fine, and then he is not. They have been told a Week 1 return is on track, and then training camp tells a different story. Until Nabers is actually on the practice field cutting and catching passes, the optimism should be tempered. The team is right to be hopeful. The fans are right to be worried.
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.
