John Harbaugh isn’t ready to commit to wide receiver Malik Nabers playing Week 1, but the New York Giants’ head coach admitted he is “praying” that will be the case.
Nabers participated in full-speed live drills on Monday for the first time since suffering a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee in Week 4 last season. Wearing a no-contact jersey, Nabers ran a few routes during 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills.
“I don’t think he’s full speed yet or anything, but thought he looked good,” Harbaugh said. “Guys did a good job of respecting that and everything, had a few catches, and it was a good start.
“You’ve got to get back in the team. Once you get back into the team periods, that’s a big first step.”
The Giants will practice in full pads on Tuesday, followed by a joint practice with the Dolphins in Miami later this week. Harbaugh is taking a wait-and-see approach with Nabers ahead of that joint practice.
“We’ll have to consider that. How much are we going to practice him down there against Miami. That would be something we have to really think about.”
The Giants open the season on Sept. 13 at home against the Dallas Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football.” Nabers deferred to Harbaugh on his status for that game, and the coach was not ready to commit either way on Monday.
“I think we’ve just got to go with the process,” Harbaugh said. “I mean, you can’t really say. You can hope. Sure, I hope he’s out there. I’m praying for it, certainly, but we’ll see.
“I think the doctors are going to know the same time we’re going to know, because we’re all going to see it, and he’s going to feel it. First of all, he can protect himself, and secondly that he can produce, right? So, I think we’re going to know it when we see it, all of us. But ultimately the doctors have to clear him. That’s it.”
Nabers saw action in just four games last season when he had 18 catches for 271 yards and two touchdowns. He injured the knee against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 28 and underwent surgery exactly one month later.
