The most exciting part of New York Giants training camp has been that Malik Nabers is on the field participating. After the significant knee injury that he suffered last season, it was a mystery when he would return to the field. However, he has been participating in practice since the first day of camp, and it’s now being reported that he’s trending towards playing in Week 1.
That’s great news for New York, for obvious reasons. Nabers is one of the best wideouts in the league, so it’s always an advantage to have him on the field. Additionally, the Giants will open the season on Sunday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. That gives Nabers a primetime opportunity to remind the NFL world who he is.
The game will also give him the chance to dead a narrative that has been building this offseason. That narrative is that he’s scared of Cowboys’ rookie safety Caleb Downs.
Malik Nabers could immediately matchup against Caleb Downs after viral draft moment
To be fair, this is a narrative that Nabers started himself. During a Bleacher Report draft special, where the receiver reacted to the first round of the 2026 Draft, he made it known how much he would have liked for New York to select Downs. Once the Giants passed over him twice, and Dallas selected the safety, Nabers’ heart sank live on air.
The Giants’ receiver emphasized at the time, “I rather get him than play against him… I gotta play against this thing again. He’s very good.” Naturally, Cowboys fans ran with that, and Nabers’ words have become the soundtrack to some cool Caleb Downs’ edits. With Downs now playing as advertised for Dallas in training camp, those edits are circulating, and Nabers is left looking scared.
While the receiver clearly respects Downs, and would rather play with him than against him, Nabers has made it clear that he’s not one to duck smoke. Additionally, he’s a problem to deal with just like Downs is.
The wide receiver proved that in their one collegiate matchup against each other. Back in 2023, during Nabers’ junior year at LSU and Downs’ freshman season at Alabama, the two faced off in a game that Alabama won 42-28. However, the wide receiver still posted 10 receptions for 171 yards and a touchdown.
A similar performance for the wideout in Week 1 would set the record straight that Nabers would have love to be teammates with Downs, but he can still be dominant against the safety.
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