The New York Giants finally received some positive news about wide receiver Malik Nabers.
Big Blue placed three players on the physically unable to perform list on Thursday, but Nabers was not among them. The star receiver is not expected to be placed on the PUP list, per multiple reports.
Nabers avoiding the PUP list is a boon for the Giants and an indicator that the club believes the wideout could be ready for the start of the regular season.
The positive signs surrounding Nabers have been few and far between the past few months, with news of his second clean-up surgery to remove scar tissue this offseason tempering expectations. Nabers suffered an ACL tear in late September. He did not participate in offseason workouts.
The Giants brass spoke somewhat optimistically about Nabers' availability early this offseason, but there had been no tangible evidence to back up the buoyancy. Nabers avoiding PUP provides some.
The next question, as Giants veterans report next week and workouts get underway, is how much Nabers will participate. We'd expect Big Blue to ease its star back in, but the sooner he's involved in team drills, the better idea we'll have about how active he'll be early in the season.
Nabers' availability is key to the Giants' receiver room. New York has a glut of veterans with Darius Slayton, Calvin Austin III, and the additions of Odell Beckham, Darnell Mooney and JuJu Smith-Schuster this offseason to go along with third-round rookie Malachi Fields. None of them are close to the field-tilter Nabers can be when healthy. Sans its No. 1, New York's pass offense could struggle. If Nabers is able to be 100% early in the season, it would completely change the Giants offense for Jaxson Dart.
