The Dallas Cowboys are just hours from opening the 2026-27 NFL season on the road against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, and one of the biggest questions on the night has been whether Malik Nabers would actually be out there.
That answer appears to be trending toward yes.
Nabers, who is coming back from a torn ACL and also had a full meniscus repair during the offseason, was medically cleared to return. And according to Newy Scruggs, who is reportedly on the scene, the Giants’ pregame presentation may have already given the game away.
Scruggs said, "the PA announcer was going over starting lineups for the Giants. He said Malik Nabers name.
So the wide receivers gonna be a go against the Cowboys."
Nothing is locked in until the Giants release their inactives about an hour before kickoff, so there is still a window for that to change. But for now, it sure sounds like Nabers is lining up to face Dallas.
That matters because Nabers was a problem for the Cowboys’ secondary last season. In the Giants’ overtime loss to Dallas, he caught nine passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns.
The Cowboys already have enough to sort out on this opening night. Dallas’ reshuffled offensive line will be tested by the Giants’ defensive front, and it will do so without All-Pro guard Tyler Smith. On the other side of the ball, defensive coordinator Christian Parker is staring at his first real challenge against Nabers, assuming the receiver is indeed active.
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But the path to any blockbuster just got a lot murkier. The Rams also tried to get involved, only to hear Crosby tell them and other interested teams that he does not want to be dealt and would prefer to stay with the Raiders, which leaves Dallas in a familiar holding pattern as the November 10 deadline approaches. The Cowboys have not closed the door on revisiting the chase, but for now the biggest obstacle is not price, it is whether Crosby is even available in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
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Javonte Williams Could Be The Cowboys' Sunday Night X-Factor
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The Giants bring their own lineup questions, with uncertainty around Nabers availability shaping how people build around their passing attack. For Dallas, that creates a little more room for alternative pass catchers to matter, and it also keeps the focus on how the Cowboys may choose to spread opportunities in a game that looks useful for daily fantasy players trying to squeeze value out of every snap. [Read more 🡒]