Ahead of the 2026 regular season, the New York Giants have made a concerted effort to upgrade the wide receiver room. The team has added players through the NFL draft and free agency. However, New York hopes to have one Pro Bowler back on the field as soon as possible. Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a season-ending injury in 2025.
Despite Nabers still working his way back to full health, general manager Joe Schoen remains optimistic. On Monday, Schoen spoke with Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein. She reported that Schoen is optimistic that Nabers will be ready for New York’s Week 1 matchup vs. the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. Will the talented wide receiver be back on the field by then, or will it take extra time to be 100%?
Will Giants Malik Nabers be on the field Week 1 vs. the Cowboys?
What has Nabers’ recovery timeline looked like?
Week 4 of the 2025 season was Jaxson Dart’s first start in the NFL. He led the Giants to a 21-18 win vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, who were undefeated at the time. During that contest, Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a torn ACL and meniscus during the same game. He was forced to miss New York’s final 13 games of the season. That injury happened on September 28 for Nabers. The young wide receiver waited a full month to have surgery on his knee. It was reported he was waiting for the swelling to subside.
Roughly one month ago, NFL insiders reported that Nabers had a second “clean-up” procedure in April. He was reportedly dealing with knee stiffness. June, July, and August will be a crucial period for Nabers’ recovery. New York’s Week 1 opener vs. the Cowboys is just over three months away. The Giants would love to see Nabers in uniform and on the field to try and help the team start 1-0 for the first time since 2022.
If Nabers is not ready for Week 1, the Giants have depth at wide receiver
In a perfect world, Nabers is 100% healthy by Week 1, and the Giants will have nothing to worry about. However, the team must be prepared for Nabers needing extra time to recover. New York has done that this offseason by adding serious depth to their wide receiver room. Just last season, the Giants found themselves unprepared when Nabers suffered an injury. This time around, the team will not run into a similar issue.
Wide receivers returning to New York in 2026 include Nabers, Darius Slayton, and Isaiah Hodgins. Additionally, the team drafted Malachi Fields in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft out of Notre Dame. Fields has drawn comparisons to Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Additionally, the team has added several free-agent wide receivers to the roster.
Earlier this offseason, New York signed Calvin Austin III and Darnell Mooney to one-year deals. Just last week, NFL insiders reported that the team signed three veteran free agents for the 2026 season. That included Odell Beckham Jr., Juju Smith-Schuster, and Braxton Berrios. For the first time in a while, the Giants have legitimate depth in the receiver room.
However, the team will have to make unwanted cuts this offseason. The typical NFL 53-man roster contains five to seven wide receivers. As of June 10, New York has at least nine wide receivers with a legitimate chance to make the roster. Giants Malik Nabers, Slayton, Mooney, Austin, and Fields are almost certainly locks to make the team. That leaves Hodgins, Beckham, Smith-Schuster, and Berrios on the potential chopping block. Fans have raved that Beckham Jr. is back on the team, but there is a world where he doesn’t make the initial 53-man roster.
Main Photo: [Kevin Jairaj] – Imagn Images
