It has been 11 months since Nabers suffered the injury against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 28, 2025. Walking into the 2026 season, fans kept looking for answers on when Nabers will return to the gridiron. As new head coach John Harbaugh addressed the question, he failed to strongly suggest a date.

“I just don’t want to make any kinds of statements like that,” Harbaugh said Monday, August 24, on whether Nabers will be returning for Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys on September 13. “I think it’s reasonable to assume that. Those are all kind of things you can assume based on watching the guy practice. 

“But the only thing I know more than you guys know is what the doctors and trainers tell me as far as his rehab. And that is: he’s doing well. He’s doing well with that. He’s strong, in a good place.”

New York Giants fans are growing impatient after seeing Nabers shed the red no-contact jersey and take part in live drills on Monday. Nabers moved well while participating in four 11-on-11 and three 7-on-7 drills. He impressed with a low catch near the turf but also had a drop and a false start as he worked his way back into form.

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Nabers first returned to live drills last week while wearing the red jersey normally designated for quarterbacks. Harbaugh said the Pro Bowl receiver could potentially take part in contact work this week. Although it wasn’t necessary with three weeks until the season opener, it would mark another step in his progression.

It’s indeed exciting news for the fans who did not see Nabers for almost a year. While facing off against the Los Angeles Chargers last year, his right knee buckled as he went to the ground trying to make a catch. Little did he know that it would sideline him for the rest of the season.

Given the seriousness of the injury, he underwent surgery on October 28 to repair the ACL and his meniscus. This made the recovery process a lot more complicated compared to an isolated ACL tear. In the meantime, he had to go through another surgery this year to clean out scar tissue and relieve stiffness.

Back healthier and stronger, Nabers is setting the tone straight right from the beginning. 

“I have extreme confidence in myself,” Nabers said. “And I not gonna put myself in any spot where I’m not gonna be better than what I was before. So I don’t see myself being what I was before, what y’all saw my rookie year. I felt like that was basic.

“I hold myself to a very high standard, and I feel like that high standard, you’re going to see it sooner or later.”

While Nabers is yet to prove himself all over again, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay already sees him as a dark-horse candidate to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2026.