The New York Giants‘ second preseason game against the Houston Texans on August 17 wasn’t pretty, with the Giants falling 28-10 and franchise quarterback Daniel Jones looking out of sorts.
But, looking at the Giants’ preseason to date, there’s one shining star that fans can point to for some hope going into the regular season. Rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers is gaining respect for his preseason performances.
Nabers “makes every catch look easy using a variety of acrobatic skills,” NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger tweeted on August 17, sharing a clip of Nabers making a seemingly impossible one-handed sideline reception against the Texans.
“Now everyone has seen what Malik Nabers has been doing for the Giants all summer,” The New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy wrote August 18, noting “the explosiveness that he has shown in training camp and joint practices into the preseason in a 28-10 loss to the Texans.”
Malik Nabers Has 54 Yards in Breakout Game
Nabers, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 draft, caught 4 passes on 6 targets for 54 yards, including the stunning 21-yard reception with 38 seconds left in the first half. He also had one rushing play for 5 yards.
Nabers’ breakout performance came after not being targeted in the Giants’ first preseason game, a 14-3 home win against the Detroit Lions. Three days later, he suffered an ankle injury during practice and missed a few days of practice.
“Any concerns that Nabers might be slowed by an ankle sprain suffered six days earlier proved laughable long before his acrobatic toe-tapping catch to set up a late first-half field goal,” Dunleavy wrote.
Nabers said after the game he was just trying to make the most of the opportunities in front of him.
“You never know when it’s your next time to get the ball,” Nabers said in a postgame interview. “So I want to make every opportunity I get the ball to show the quarterback that every time he throws the ball my way I’m going to be able to catch it, any way, somehow.”
Malik Nabers’ Seems to Be Over His Ankle Injury
Heading into the new season, Giants fans can breathe a little sigh of relief that they have wide receiver Nabers in the fold to line up with Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton.
Nabers, who starred at LSU, is expected to be the Giants’ primary receiver as a rookie and had impressed throughout training camp, according to multiple reports. And he is one of the favorites to take home the Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, along with quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels (his college teammate) and Bo Nix and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
It appears he’s over his ankle injury. He told reporters that he was “feeling good” and should be healthy for the Giants’ September 8 regular-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.
“I don’t think it’s really nothing too serious, though. Just typical things that happen with the ankle when you play football, you play basketball. Nothing too serious,” he said on August 14, via Giants.com. “It feels good, getting back healthy. Just continuing with the rehab.”
