Giants WR Malik Nabers has minor again challenge, sources say

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers hasn’t practiced in 11 days after dealing with what multiple sources told ESPN was a minor back problem. One source characterized it as “normal camp tightness.”

Nabers was held out of Saturday night’s 31-12 win over the New York Jets. He has missed each of the Giants’ first two preseason games.

The Giants have only one full practice this week scheduled for Tuesday. They have a walk-through on Monday and play their final preseason game on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium against the New England Patriots. So while Nabers may be back soon, it’s possible it also might not be this week given the tight schedule and quick turnaround.

It would seem logical at this point for Nabers to miss the entire preseason. The regular season opens in three weeks.

It should be plenty of time for Nabers to get ready for the Washington Commanders and the grueling early season schedule that follows, in part because the Giants appear to be bringing him back slowly. There is no reason to rush their most explosive offensive weapon onto the field for the preseason.

It seems the Giants are handling the situation with caution considering how important Nabers is to their offense. He also missed the spring with a toe injury and left a practice earlier this summer after landing on his shoulder.

New York has been tight-lipped on injuries throughout training camp. This situation is no different despite multiple inquiries.

“Not going to get into any injuries,” coach Brian Daboll said late last week. “[Nabers is] working hard to get back.”

The same holds true for standout left tackle Andrew Thomas. He is on the physically unable to perform list as he rehabs from Lisfranc surgery on his foot last year.

General manager Joe Schoen said at the beginning of the summer the expectation was that Thomas would be ready for Week 1. Daboll would only say Sunday that Thomas was “getting better” and that he was “on his rehab schedule.” They were taking it day by day.

It seems to be the same with Nabers, who also played coy when he didn’t finish practice on Aug. 6. He said he was listening to the trainers and it was all part of the plan.

It wasn’t clear at the time what sent him to the sideline.

“Just everything,” he said. “Just, like I said, the process is just making sure I’m as healthy as I need to be when it’s time to play ball.”

Nabers was on the sideline in uniform during parts of Wednesday’s joint practice in East Rutherford with the Jets, even though he didn’t participate. He seemed to be moving around fine pregame on Saturday night while watching warmups in street clothes. He stood on the sideline for the game.

All positive signs with an eye on the season opener Sept. 7 in Maryland against the Commanders.

The Giants offense is going to need a healthy Nabers this season. He’s their clear-cut No. 1 receiver after catching 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdown last year as a rookie. There is no substitute for that role when he’s on the sidelines.

Nabers looked even more dominant this summer than last year when he was healthy at training camp. He was virtually unguardable while regularly catching passes downfield. More balls were thrown in Nabers direction than any other receiver, and by a large margin.

Newly signed veteran cornerback Paulson Adebo had a first-hand look.

“Yeah, Malik has, I mean, he has elite quickness, his ball skills, I mean, his ability to track the ball, some of the things he does when the ball is in the air, late hands. I mean, he really is, you know, a complete elite receiver. … Young or not, he’s doing some things that doesn’t matter how many years he’s been in the league,” Adebo said. “I mean, he really is elite with the things that he does and his body control and catching the ball down the field and bursts.

“I mean, literally there’s not one knock to his game — coming out of routes, running every route. So, you really do have to prepare for everything with him.”

The Giants offense stumbled at times during joint practices against the crosstown rival Jets without Nabers as quarterback Russell Wilson’s favorite target. They looked better in the preseason game on Saturday night with undrafted rookie Beaux Collins stepping into Nabers’ spot and catching a deep ball on the opening drive. The 80-yard gain set up a rushing touchdown two plays later.

Wilson and the first-team offense didn’t score on their other three drives, the final of which ended on an interception intended for Collins. Daboll said afterwards it wasn’t a concern because that was a route the quarterback and rookie receiver hadn’t worked on together.

It possibly would’ve been different had Nabers been on the field. He’s put in a lot of work with Wilson this summer.

Wilson and the Giants know they need a healthy Nabers on the field this season to reach their full potential. He’s their most dynamic playmaker.

“The good part is we don’t even have Malik Nabers out there yet,” Wilson said last week after the first of two joint practices with the Jets. “He’s had a great camp so when gets back out there too it will be really exciting for us.”

It seems likely to be sooner rather than later that the Giants will have Nabers and Thomas back.