Malik Nabers made his return from a torn ACL on Sunday, catching six passes for 69 yards on nine targets as the Giants beat the Cowboys 28-20 in the season opener, the first game of coach John Harbaugh’s tenure with the team.
Nabers had been a full participant in practice all week but was still listed as questionable heading into the game. His family did not attend, and he said the decision to play came down to how he felt during pregame warmups.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s time,'” Nabers said. “It’s time.”
He described the process as a personal one that he needed to work through on his own before deciding he was ready.
“It’s a one-on-one battle that you got to go through,” Nabers said. “You gotta do it for yourself. And I didn’t want my family here and I was feeling like I let them down by not playing. I had to do it for myself first. I had to go out there, feel it out, feel I could do it and then I felt good.”
Nabers walked out of the tunnel and onto the field just before 6:30 p.m., went through a workout with a trainer, and then made the call to play. Earlier in the week, he had cited concerns about not jeopardizing his career as part of why his status remained uncertain into the weekend.
Once the game started, he did not take long to get involved. On the Giants’ first possession, quarterback Jaxson Dart completed his first pass of the game to Nabers, who motioned across the line of scrimmage before hauling in a 9-yard gain. The crowd chanted his name after each catch.
The Giants’ offense was balanced enough that Nabers did not need to dominate in his first game back. Instead, he built a foundation with a steady, meaningful role that had not been guaranteed just hours earlier.
“I had to feel like I wanted to play,” Nabers said. “I had to feel it. Just everyone wanted to see me. … I had to feel the energy.”
The win marked the start of the Harbaugh era in New York, with Nabers’ return giving the offense a boost as it continues rebuilding around him following last season’s injury.
