Malik Nabers was on his way to putting up historic numbers for a rookie wide receiver, but a concussion suffered at the tail-end of the NY Giants’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys put a damper on his incredible start to the season.
After missing two games against the Seattle Seahawks and the Cincinnati Bengals, many have theorized Nabers could be ready for this coming weekend’s clash with the Philadelphia Eagles. Those hopes gained some momentum on Wednesday, as Nabers returned to practice on a limited basis, and Brian Daboll claimed he was “optimistic” about the wide receiver’s return for Week 7.
If Nabers does get back onto the field against the rival Eagles, expect him to be targeted early and often, similar to the way he’s been when healthy. In his stead, Darius Slayton stepped up a bit, while Wan’Dale Robinson continued to be a steady presence for the Giants offense, with Tyrone Tracey Jr. emerging at running back, as well.
WR Malik Nabers (concussion) has made “progress” and will practice in a red jersey on Wednesday, per Brian Daboll.
— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) October 16, 2024
The Giants are “optimistic” and they’re hoping he makes the next step on Thursday.
NY Giants hoping to have Malik Nabers ready to take on the Eagles
The Giants got along fine in Seattle against the Seahawks without Nabers, but their trip back home to MetLife Stadium, where they welcomed the Bengals to town, didn’t go as smoothly. While the defense put up an incredible effort, sans for two long runs from Joe Burrow and Chase Brown, the latter which iced the game, the offense was putrid, with Daniel Jones putting up a stinker in primetime once again. He was inaccurate and made boneheaded decisions.
It’s become the norm for Jones and the Giants, as there doesn’t seem to be any consistency week-to-week on offense. The team can look fantastic on offense one week, like they did against the Washington Commanders and the aforementioned Seahawks, and horrid the next, with the losses to the Bengals, Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings coming to mind.
Some will blame Jones’ inability to get the ball downfield and process what the defense is showing him, and they would be correct in their assertion, but it’s not like this is anything new for the Giants. Plus, with the injury bug biting Andrew Thomas once again, the much-improved New York offensive line will take a hit, so the former first-round quarterback will need to step up in grand fashion in Week 7 and beyond.
Alas, Nabers' likely return couldn’t be coming at a better time for the Giants, as they're going to need all the help they can get. The Giants are closer to the Eagles than they’ve been in quite some time, the play of Jones be damned. Time will tell what DJ shows up on Sunday afternoon, but with the former LSU star likely to be back in the lineup, he just needs to give Nabers a chance to ball out.