Malik Nabers is set to give the Cowboys’ rebuilt secondary an early stress test when Dallas opens the 2026 season against the Giants.
The New York wide receiver was a full participant in game-week practice on Wednesday afternoon for the first time since last September, when he suffered a season-ending ACL injury. He is expected to be ready for the season opener against Dallas, and that puts one of the league’s most explosive young pass catchers right back in the Cowboys’ path.
Nabers has already made himself a problem for Dallas. In three games against the Cowboys in his young career, he’s averaging nearly 100 receiving yards per game.
As a rookie, he opened with 12 catches for 115 yards in the first meeting, then followed that with eight receptions for 69 yards in the second. In 2025, he came out even hotter against Dallas in Week 2, piling up nine catches for 167 yards and two touchdowns before his season was cut short after just four games.
Now he gets a chance to pick up where he left off.
That makes Week 1 a revealing moment for a Dallas defense that has been overhauled under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. The 34-year-old, known for developing defensive backs, moved quickly to reshape the back end after replacing Matt Eberflus.
The Cowboys added free agents Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke to join Malik Hooker, drafted Caleb Downs to handle the nickel/safety role, and brought in Cobie Durant to help stabilize cornerback alongside DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel.
The pieces are new, and the expectations are high.
There have been encouraging signs from the defense across organized team activities, training camp, and preseason play, stretching from the front to the secondary. But none of that has come in a meaningful game yet. That changes when Dallas lines up against the Giants.
New York is expected to be better under John Harbaugh in his first season as head coach, but the offense still isn’t projected to be a high-powered group. Even so, the Giants have enough talent to make life uncomfortable for the Cowboys, and Nabers is the name that jumps out first.
In Other News...
Cowboys Enter Week 1 With A Tight End Problem
As the Cowboys get ready for their regular-season opener against the Giants, the tight end room is already looking thinner than anyone around the team would like. Luke Schoonmaker sat out practice with his status still unclear, while practice squad tight end Michael Trigg is rehabbing a toe injury, leaving Dallas to sort through a position group that has taken a hit before the games even start.
Princeton Fant and DJ Rogers are both on injured reserve, which is why the Cowboys may need to look at a practice squad move just to keep the depth chart functional. One possible answer is James Mitchell, who could be elevated if Dallas decides it needs another body at tight end for Week 1. [Read more 🡒]
John Harbaugh Is Already Turning Up The Tension Before Cowboys Opener
With Sunday nights opener against the Cowboys looming, John Harbaugh is already treating the week like a chess match. The Giants coach declined to get into game plans or specific player details at his press conference, making it clear he sees no value in handing over any competitive edge before the season even begins. It is the kind of early-week posture that tends to sharpen the edge around a division game, especially when two teams know each other well.
Harbaughs guarded approach comes as reports have also pointed to some pointed evaluations of quarterback Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo during camp. For Dallas, that only adds another layer to a game that already carries plenty of attention, with the Cowboys opening against a rival that appears intent on keeping every meaningful card close to the vest. The questions around how much the Giants are willing to reveal will wait until kickoff, and maybe well after it. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys May Have Found A Scary New Way To Use George Pickens
The Cowboys are already thinking ahead to 2026, and George Pickens is central to the plan. After a strong first season in Dallas, the wide receivers role could grow in ways that make the offense less predictable, with the team looking to move him around more and use him in different alignments instead of keeping him in one familiar spot.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer wants the passing game to create more problems for defenses, and Pickens versatility could be a big part of that approach. Dallas is hoping that a more varied deployment, including more work in the slot, can build on a season in which Pickens piled up 93 catches, 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns and turn an already dangerous weapon into something even harder to track. [Read more 🡒]