Malik Nabers didn’t sugarcoat it after his return to the field.
The New York Giants wide receiver said Thursday that he’s still feeling the effects of the layoff after missing meaningful action since Sept. 28, 2025, when he tore his ACL and meniscus. Nabers got back in the mix in New York’s 28-20 Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 13, finishing with six catches for 69 yards, but the game film left him with a blunt self-scout.
"I'm rusty," Nabers admitted about what he saw during game-film reviews, per the Giants' website."I'm rusty."
He said he noticed himself “slipping” and “falling” at points in the game, including at least a couple of moments when he lost his footing on the MetLife Stadium turf that players regularly criticize. Nabers also said he had to get through a mental hurdle before deciding he was ready to play again after a “clean-up” procedure tied to the knee injury.
The receiver said he was “a little sore, but manageable,” and made it clear he expects to suit up again when the Giants visit the 0-1 Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 21 for “Monday Night Football.”
The Giants have drawn plenty of attention after their upset of Dallas, and Nabers didn’t exactly lean into the hype. Instead, he framed the win as one step, not some grand declaration.
"Just trying to get another win, stack another win up," Nabers said when asked whether going up against the Rams could prove to be a statement game for the Giants. "We got the win, but we're very humble about it.
And we know we've got to - because week after week is going to be another game, another challenge, another defense, another scheme. So, we're just locking in on knowing what we've got to do, doing what we have to do.
That's really it. I feel like we'll take care of ourselves.
If we do what we're supposed to do, we'll win."
New York now heads into a matchup with a Rams team that opened Week 1 as the favorite to win Super Bowl LXI in February 2027 before losing 27-7 to the San Francisco 49ers. DraftKings Sportsbook listed Los Angeles at +670 to win Super Bowl LXI as of Friday morning, with the Buffalo Bills next at +850.
The Giants, meanwhile, were seven-point road underdogs against the Rams on Friday.
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