Malik Nabers was not in uniform for Friday's preseason game versus the Jets, a sign that his return from a torn right ACL is still being measured one step at a time. The Giants are left waiting on the same question that has followed him through camp: whether he will be ready for Week 1 against the Cowboys.
That question matters now because the opener comes Sunday, Sept. 13, and Nabers has been one of the few players drawing constant attention every time he takes the field. He was active during most of training camp and ditched the non-contact red jersey at Monday's practice, two signs that his recovery is moving forward even as the final answer remains unsettled.
On Friday, though, the clearest fact was the one fans could see: Nabers was not dressed for the preseason game. That followed a Monday in which he was non-committal when asked about playing in Week 1, a response that did little to calm the uncertainty around his availability for the Giants' opener.
That is the friction in this story. Nabers has been working back from a major knee injury, and his camp work suggests progress, but progress is not the same as a firm commitment. He has been active for much of training camp, yet he still would not say whether he will face the Cowboys on Sept. 13.
For the Giants, that leaves the countdown to Week 1 tied to Nabers' recovery rather than to any public declaration. He will keep ramping up, and the next meaningful checkpoint is the Week 1 matchup with the Cowboys on Sunday, Sept. 13, when the team will learn whether the work of the summer turns into a return to the lineup.
