Giants Coach Optimistic About Malik Nabers' Return

General Manager Joe Schoen announced this week that the New York Giants anticipate Malik Nabers will be ready for the season opener scheduled for September 13. However, Coach John Harbaugh expressed a more cautious outlook, stating he is "hopeful" that the wide receiver will return "soon."

Nabers has been sidelined, missing the Giants' mandatory minicamp as he continues his recovery from a torn ACL, which required a second surgical procedure to address scar tissue. "He said his plan is to be here most of the time, almost all the time he'll be here, I believe," Harbaugh commented on Wednesday, as reported by Jordan Raanan of ESPN. "I don't think he will be here all the time. He's going to be here a lot, working really hard. He's making really good progress right now. I’m very hopeful that he'll be back soon."

Despite his progress, Harbaugh noted that returning from a knee injury is a complex process. He emphasized that while Nabers is improving, he will still need time to regain his full strength. "It's a slog; it's a grind. He's still in the middle of it," Harbaugh explained. "He's probably not in the middle of it now. He's probably maybe 70 percent through. I don't know, something like that, 80 percent through."

Nabers initially tore his ACL during a game against the Chargers in Week 4 and underwent surgery on October 28. The follow-up procedure this offseason was necessary due to stiffness he was experiencing. It seems probable that Nabers will begin training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list as he continues his rehabilitation journey.