Malik Nabers' injury status for Giants vs. Saints Week 14 matchup (updated)

The New York Giants are holding their breath as rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers battles a hip flexor injury heading into Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

According to reports from ESPN's Adam Schefter, Nabers, who also has been dealing with a lingering groin issue, is officially listed as questionable but is pushing to play.

Despite not practicing on Friday, Nabers is expected to warm up pregame to determine his availability. If he does suit up, the Giants plan to limit his snaps. Head coach Brian Daboll confirmed that the team has no plans to shut Nabers down for the season, even though the Giants are eliminated from playoff contention.

Nabers has been a rare bright spot in an otherwise bleak 2-10 season. With 75 catches for 740 yards, he leads the team in receiving, making his absence potentially devastating for an offense already struggling to move the ball. Drew Lock will start at quarterback, and without Nabers at full strength, the Giants will likely lean on Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt to step up in the passing game.

Updated Malik Nabers injury status

The Giants released their actives/inactives list for today's game against the Saints, and Nabers is active and expected to play (at least a little bit) today. According to NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Schefter, Malik Nabers is ready to go against the New Orleans Saints. However, Schefter emphasized the risks of playing Nabers, even in a limited role, given his lingering injuries.

It’s hard to understand this move. What are the Giants thinking? Nabers is clearly the franchise's most exciting young talent, and putting him on the field when he isn't at 100 percent will definitely jeopardize any chance of a brighter future.

Sure, the Giants would be worse off without Malik Nabers for the rest of the season, but let’s be honest—is the product on the field any better with him right now? New York has plenty of work to do this offseason, and risking Nabers in meaningless games won’t do much to improve their long-term outlook.

It will be interesting to see how well Nabers performs against the Saints. If he shows any signs of struggling physically, it would be a mistake to keep him in the game. With rookie tight end Theo Johnson on injured reserve, expect receivers Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt, along with backup tight end Daniel Bellinger, to receive the majority of Drew Lock's passes.

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