John Harbaugh Provides Concerning Malik Nabers Update During Giants OTAs

The New York Giants officially opened Phase III of OTAs on Tuesday, May 19, under new head coach John Harbaugh, kicking off a new era in East Rutherford.

All eyes so far have been on how second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart adjusts to the new offense and his new weapons, including Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin III, and rookie Malachi Fields.

Defensively, the Giants are also experimenting with different looks as they prepare for life without All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence while integrating No. 5 overall pick Arvell Reese into Dennard Wilson's new scheme.

Yet, the biggest storyline remains Malik Nabers' uncertain ACL recovery timeline.

And on Thursday, Harbaugh delivered the clearest sign yet that while New York remains optimistic, the team is also preparing for the possibility of opening the season without its star wide receiver.

Harbaugh described Nabers as being "in the slug of it, the grind of it," while emphasizing that the injury was "not a simple knee."

He also admitted the team cannot realistically predict when Nabers will return, though the "goal" is for him to participate at some point during training camp and potentially be ready for the start of the season.

Regardless, Harbaugh said the Giants will "be ready to go either way."

More news: Joe Burrow Sends Warning Shot to Rest of NFL Ahead of 2026 Season

When Nabers tore his ACL in Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season, the initial expectation was that if he attacked rehab aggressively and stayed on schedule for training camp, he could potentially be ready for Week 1.

Most elite athletes return from ACL injuries within 9 to 12 months, and the Giants open their regular season on Sept. 13, just under one full year after Nabers suffered the injury.

Giants general manager Joe Schoen even said back in January that Nabers was "trending" toward training camp participation.

But ACL recoveries are already notoriously unpredictable, and Nabers underwent a second knee procedure earlier this offseason to address stiffness, scar tissue, and meniscus-related damage. That’s why Harbaugh emphasized this is "not a simple knee" and far from a straightforward recovery process.

More news: Mike Evans' Replacement Emerging Ahead of Bucs OTAs - And It's Not Emeka Egbuka

More news: LeSean McCoy Makes Bold Prediction About Shedeur Sanders' Browns Future

If Nabers isn’t ready for Week 1, which is starting to feel a lot more likely, veteran additions like Mooney and Austin suddenly become critical pieces rather than complementary weapons.

Fields, who the Giants selected in the third round of the draft, has already generated some camp buzz and should see an immediate uptick in targets as well, along with incoming tight end Isaiah Likely, who came over with Harbaugh from Baltimore.

Giants training camp will likely kick off in mid-to-late July, meaning Nabers has roughly two months to see how things progress.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 1:51 PM.