New York Giants OTAs began on May 27, but head coach Brian Daboll addressed the media for the first full day of practices on May 28, and an injury update on star wide receiver Malik Nabers was an immediate topic of conversation.
“Giants coach Brian Daboll says Malik Nabers has a toe injury that he has been resting that goes back to the 2024 season and even ‘to college,’ which is why Nabers will not be participating today even though he is here physically,” relayed New York Daily News beat reporter Pat Leonard, among others on X.
SNY’s Connor Hughes also added that Nabers “didn’t have any procedure” done over the offseason and “just needs rest.”
Although Week 1 is still a long way away, this injury update is somewhat concerning, considering Nabers has presumably been resting since January.
As Daboll acknowledged, this lingering toe injury also dates back to college, meaning it’s probably not going away anytime soon.
On the bright side, Nabers has played on it before and will likely do so again in 2025. But it’s fair to wonder if this will always be a nagging issue for the rising playmaker.
Giants Fans May Not See Much of Malik Nabers Until Training Camp Due to Toe Injury
It looks like Giants OTAs could be a total wash for Nabers in 2025.
ESPN NYG beat reporter Jordan Raanan noted that the Giants are “going to make sure he gets rest so he’s ready for training camp,” implying that Nabers could miss all of May and June activities.
That’s not necessarily a huge deal for a player as talented as Nabers, but there are inhibiting aspects to this absence.
For starters, the Giants have totally revamped their quarterback room in 2025. And Nabers has yet to build chemistry with newcomers like Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and rookie Jaxson Dart.
For someone like Dart, Giants OTAs and minicamp may be the only time he gets prolonged work with a first-stringer like Nabers. Being that training camp and in-season practices will feature Wilson throwing to Nabers more often than not — assuming he remains as the projected QB1.
That puts any sort of early Dart-Nabers development on hold for now.
Giants Plan to Be ‘Smart’ With Left Tackle Andrew Thomas at OTAs
Along with Nabers, Daboll stated that the Giants will be “smart” with how fast they integrate left tackle Andrew Thomas back into the fold, per team reporter Dan Salomone.
Needless to say, these are two very key rehab processes to monitor, as Nabers and Thomas might be the two most important Giants players on the offensive side in 2025, outside of the quarterback.
Thomas underwent season-ending surgery on his foot last year. The anchor of the NYG offensive line has only started 16 games over the past two seasons, and the results without him on the field haven’t generally been pretty.
In order to have success on offense this season, the Giants need healthy campaigns from both Nabers and Thomas. And it seems like the coaching staff is well aware of that, considering the early precautions they’re taking at OTAs.
It could be weeks — or even months — before we see either take the field for meaningful snaps at Giants camp.
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