What Happened to Malik Nabers? Breaking Down the Giants Superstar’s Injury and Return Timeline

Why is Malik Nabers not playing for the Giants? Here's the latest on the star wide receiver's status for the rest of the season.

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers suffered a major injury in Week 4 on the Meadowlands’ artificial turf and is out for the season.


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What’s Malik Nabers’ Injury Status and Timeline?

Nabers was injured trying to catch a deep ball down the right sideline in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers. It was clear the injury was serious, as the wideout immediately reached for his right leg as he went to the ground. Since then, it’s been revealed that the wideout tore his ACL and meniscus while leaping to try to catch the pass.

His injury could not have come at a worse time; the Giants are currently near the bottom of PFSN’s Offense Impact metric, ranking 25th on the year with an overall grade of D+.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that Nabers is expected to undergo surgery for the torn ACL and a torn meniscus while also allowing a partially torn labrum and turf toe to heal, per sources. Surgery on his labrum was also considered but was eventually decided against. Before leaving that particular game, Nabers had two catches for 20 yards.

“Man, you know he’s a ball player, man, and that hurts. But we definitely, I hate to say it, didn’t blink an eye,” Giants defensive lineman Kayvon Thibodeaux said at the time of Nabers’ injury. “He’s a guy we need, part of our team we need out there on the field but it’s the next man up. That’s the name of the game, and we’ve just got to keep going.”

As a rookie in 2024, Nabers set a franchise record with 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. This season, he had already recorded 16 catches for 251 yards and two touchdowns through three games.

The average recovery time for a torn ACL is six to nine months, a challenge the Giants will face. Nabers is currently projected to return in time for the start of training camp. He had also previously dealt with shoulder and turf toe issues.

New York Giants’ Insights for Week 10

Team: Brian Daboll has a 20-39-1 record as the Giants head coach. His .342 winning percentage is the lowest in franchise history for anyone who has coached at least four seasons.

QB: Jaxson Dart has 10 touchdown passes on 175 attempts, while Russell Wilson had three on 112 pass attempts.

Offense: The Giants had an OFFi grade of D+ or worse three times in the first four games. In three of the last four games, New York has posted a C+ or better.

Defense: New York has scored 105-57 since the start of the fourth quarter in Week the Broncos, when the Giants held a 19-0 lead entering the final 15 minutes.

Fantasy: Jaxson Dart hasn’t scored below 17.5 fantasy points since being named starter. He’s rushed for over 50 yards in four of his six starts. The Bears just gave up 470 yards and four touchdowns to Joe Flacco.

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