Giants' Malik Nabers appears in good spirits after concussion vs. Cowboys
Malik Nabers was at the Giants’ facility and in good spirits on Friday, coach Brian Daboll told reporters on a video news conference.
In fact, the rookie receiver texted Daboll during the Zoom.
Beyond that, though, there was not much Daboll could or would say about Nabers’ status beyond the fact that he is in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
“Any other updates, I don’t have for you,” he said.
As for the content of that text, Daboll said it was “private.”
Fellow receiver Wan’Dale Robinson said Friday that Nabers watched game video with teammates.
“I think he’s feeling all right,” Robinson said. “Obviously, just going to take it day by day. Luckily, we’ve got a couple extra days of rest, so I think that’ll be good for him.”
What we do know is that Nabers suffered a concussion in the Giants’ 20-15 loss to the Cowboys on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, a game Amazon Prime Video said was the most-streamed regular-season game in NFL history. It averaged 16.22 million viewers, including local over-the-air channels in New York and Dallas.
It happened on a pivotal play with 3 1⁄2 minutes remaining. On fourth-and-6 from the Giants’ 45-yard line, Daniel Jones scrambled out of trouble and found Nabers along the left sideline. The receiver initially appeared to make a brilliant catch, keeping both feet in bounds, but as he landed face first, the ball came loose and his head hit the ground.
Nabers was in the locker room interacting with teammates after the game but was off limits to reporters.
He posted a picture of himself on Instagram early Friday morning with a hands in prayer emoji around the caption: “All good. Thanks for all the prayers!!!”
Asked after the game if he thought Nabers had made the fourth-down catch, Jones said: “It looked like he did from my view on it. He played a heck of a game again and he showed up for us big time, so we’ll keep trusting him with it.”
Nabers, the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, had 12 receptions for 115 yards against Dallas. He has 35 catches for 386 yards and three touchdowns through four games.
Although his NFL career has just begun, Nabers is arguably the Giants’ most popular player. The rookie could benefit from the extra-long break that follows a Thursday night game. The Giants next play on Oct. 6 against the Seahawks in Seattle.
If Nabers can’t go, Robinson, Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt will have to pick up the slack. Or maybe even the tight ends, who have totaled only five receptions this season.
“We ask those guys, the tight ends in particular, to block a fair amount,” Daboll said. “[We] use them in protection.
“I’d say that everybody’s viable on each and every play, but you certainly try to get the ball to the guys like a Malik, like a Wan’Dale, like a Slay that you think you can do some stuff with the ball in their hands.”
Asked about the notion of a Naber-less offense, Daboll said, “We’ll take it day by day here and see where he’s at.”
Robinson had 11 catches for 71 yards on Thursday and is a viable option to carry some of Nabers’ burden.
Asked if the offense would benefit from getting more people involved, Robinson said: “Sure, I guess you could say that. At the end of the day, guys have got to go out there and get open.”
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
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