How Long Will Malik Nabers Be Out? A Look at When the Giants WR Will Return From Devastating Injury

In Week 13 of the NFL season, the New York Giants will face off against the New England Patriots on December 1 for Monday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. EST on ESPN.

Despite their 2-10 record, the Giants have been a competitive team. Unfortunately, they lost their star wide receiver Malik Nabers earlier in the season. Here’s a look at how long he’ll be out and when he is expected to return.

When Will Malik Nabers Return?

In Week 4 of the NFL season, Nabers suffered an ACL and meniscus injury against the Los Angeles Chargers on that damned MetLife Stadium turf in New Jersey. The turf, known for injuring many players, had claimed another.

In late October, Nabers underwent surgery to repair his torn ACL in his right knee, with rehab to start soon after being released. Interestingly enough, the surgery occurred exactly one month after the initial injury because doctors waited for the swelling to go down.

It’s never suitable for an injury of that severity, but one redeeming quality is that the injury occurred early in the season, rather than later in the season. With a recovery time of nine months, Nabers should be ready for the start of the 2026 season next September.

Before the injury, Nabers played in four games and caught 18 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Last season, he caught 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns, ranking 28th in PFSN’s WRi.

ACL injuries can be tough, but the fact that Nabers is young is better than if he were an older receiver. He will make a full recovery and return in September 2026, but there are always questions about whether an athlete will be the same caliber of player after an injury.

New York Giants’ Insights for Week 13

Team: The Giants are winless in their last six games with losses to the Denver Broncos, the Philadelphia Eagles, the San Francisco 49ers, the Chicago Bears, the Green Bay Packers, and the Detroit Lions.

QB: Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart will be back under center after suffering a concussion in the team’s Week 10 loss to the Bears.

Offense: The Giants rank 25th in PFSN’s OFFi. They have an offensive impact score of 70.7 and a letter grade of C-. The team could be better offensively if their three best players, Dart, Nabers, and Skattebo, hadn’t suffered injuries this season.

Defense: The Giants rank 29th in PFSN’s DFFi. The team has an impact score of 65.4 and a letter grade of D.