Malik Nabers missed most of the 2025 season after suffering a torn ACL during New York's Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Updated on: Sep 13, 2026, 01:12:28 IST

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The New York Giants will open their 2026 NFL season against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, but Malik Nabers' availability remains one of the biggest questions heading into the matchup.

What happened to Malik Nabers?

Nabers has looked encouraging in practice and appears to be progressing well in his recovery, but his status for Week 1 is still uncertain.

The 23-year-old wide receiver missed most of the 2025 season after suffering a torn ACL during New York's Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Is Nabers playing in week 1 vs Cowboys?

The Giants officially listed Nabers as questionable for Sunday's season opener despite the receiver being a full participant in practice. No other New York player received an injury designation, leaving Nabers as the team's only notable concern ahead of the Cowboys game.

His situation became even more interesting after the Giants made a roster move on Saturday.

Giants elevate Dalen Cambre to roster

New York signed practice squad wide receiver Dalen Cambre to its active 53-man roster, according to NFL reporter Art Stapleton.

“Giants are signing WR/ST Dalen Cambre to the 53-man roster, per sources. Sense I get is that they’re still going through combos of what game day roster will look like with actives/inactives and Malik Nabers’ status,” Stapleton tweeted on X.

Cambre impressed the Giants during the summer and showed potential during limited preseason action.

The Louisiana product recorded seven catches for 79 yards across three preseason games before being waived during final roster cuts. He later returned to the organization on the practice squad before earning his latest promotion.

Could Cambre's promotion affect Nabers?

Cambre's elevation has raised further questions about Nabers' chances of playing against Dallas. SNY's Connor Hughes suggested that the move may not be an encouraging sign for the Giants' star receiver.

“Activating another WR I don’t think bodes well for Malik Nabers. But we’ll see,” Hughes wrote in a post on X.

However, Stapleton clarified that Cambre's promotion should not necessarily be viewed as a sign that Nabers will miss the game.

According to his understanding, the move gives the Giants flexibility as they finalize their roster, with two more practice squad elevations expected, including Braxton Berrios and potentially Malik Harrison.

Stapleton also noted that Cambre is not guaranteed to be active for Sunday's game.

Nabers remains optimistic about recovery

Despite being listed as questionable, Nabers' recent practice participation has provided some encouraging signs. He reportedly completed two consecutive full practices and expressed optimism about his progress.

"I'm just focusing on today. I had a really good day at practice. It's moving well, trending in the right direction,” the Giants wide receiver explained.

However, Nabers indicated that the final decision on whether he plays could ultimately depend on how he feels. "They're leaving the decision up on me. Whatever I feel and whatever I come to the conclusion of, we'll make that decision,” he said.

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