Malik Nabers Had a Second Knee Surgery and the Giants Are Still Hoping He Plays Week 1
Nobody said the Malik Nabers recovery story was going to be clean. But two surgeries into the process, with a Week 1 target still somehow intact, the New York Giants are either delusionally optimistic or they know something the rest of us don’t.
Nabers underwent a second procedure on his right knee earlier this offseason, a “clean up” surgery to remove scar tissue that had been causing stiffness. The Giants characterized it as minor, saying it won’t alter his overall timeline. But let’s be clear: this kid had his ACL torn in late September, went through a full meniscus repair in October, and now needs a second procedure months later. That is not a routine recovery.
The original surgery on October 28 was already concerning. When Nabers revealed in February that he had a full meniscus repair on top of the ACL, alarm bells went off across the league. Full meniscus repairs require significantly longer recovery windows than partial repairs, and stacking an ACL on top of that makes Week 1 of a September schedule an aggressive, borderline wishful target.
The Giants are hopeful. The medical staff apparently isn’t panicking. The scar tissue removal wasn’t characterized as a setback but rather a necessary step to get the knee moving properly. According to reports, the procedure happened multiple weeks ago, and the clock is ticking toward September 13, when New York opens the season against Dallas.
Doctors not connected to the Giants have been measured in their assessments. The phrase floating around is “not a disaster, but certainly not good news.” Two surgeries on the same knee before you’ve played a single 2026 snap is a real concern, regardless of how routine the front office tries to make it sound.
The Cowboys game on September 13 at MetLife Stadium would be a massive moment for the Giants franchise. Getting Nabers on the field for that one would send a message. Missing it, after two knee surgeries in seven months, would set a very different tone for the season.
Watch the Giants’ OTA and training camp reports closely. How Nabers moves, how much contact he’s cleared for, and whether there are any further setbacks will tell you everything you need to know about whether he actually makes that Cowboys opener.
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.
