Head coach John Harbaugh later clarified that the early departure was not part of the plan, but confirmed no injury was reported.
The New York Giants faced an unexpected development during Wednesday’s outdoor session when star wide receiver Malik Nabers walked off the field accompanied by a member of the training staff roughly 20 minutes before practice concluded. The sudden exit immediately drew attention because the 2024 first-round pick and Pro Bowler had been participating fully and looking sharp in team drills.
Up until his early departure, the wide receiver showed his usual explosiveness by making several impressive jumping and stretching catches.
New York Giants reporter Ryan Dunleavy was among the first to report Malik Nabers’ early departure, noting that the receiver had looked healthy throughout the session. Malik Nabers left practice with a trainer before the final drive ended. Up until then, he looked very agile with jumping and stretched catches.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan wrote on his official X account: Malik Nabers left the outdoor practice field early with a trainer,
adding that Coach John Harbaugh said he talks with the medical staff after practice and there was no mention of Nabers.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan also reported that Malik Nabers had completed a full workload before leaving practice approximately 20 minutes before the session ended, writing on his official X account on Wednesday: WR Malik Nabers walked off with a trainer with 20 minutes left in practice after having a full workload. Harbaugh said he didn’t get an update after practice that the early departure was injury related.
New York Daily News reporter Pat Leonard wrote on his official X account on Wednesday: Malik Nabers leaving practice early — after looking good running routes in team drills — was not part of today's plan, John Harbaugh said.
Leonard added, But the coach said whatever it was, there was no injury. Harbaugh would have heard about it at the end of practice.
John Harbaugh Addresses the Confusion After Practice
The situation became slightly murky immediately following the session when reporters attempted to get answers from the coaching staff. Dan Duggan described it as a somewhat confusing interaction with Harbaugh after practice, noting that Harbaugh was unaware when first asked about Nabers leaving early.
When asked a follow-up about the early exit, Harbaugh provided a direct explanation:
“It wasn’t part of the plan. I’ll find out what was going on. I’m sure it’s something with the trainers. There’s no injury. We talk afterwards — we always get the injury report right after and there was no talk about Malik that way.”
John Harbaugh, New York Giants Head Coach
That post-practice exchange provided the primary reassurance for the organization. While reporters on the scene noted the interaction carried a degree of confusion, the definitive word from the coaching staff ruled out any immediate physical setback.
Recovery Timeline and the Approach to Contact Practice
Nabers has not played since tearing his ACL early in the 2025 regular season — an injury that required multiple surgeries to fix. Specifically, Nabers is recovering from a torn ACL and meniscus he suffered in Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season against the Los Angeles Chargers. After undergoing multiple surgeries, including an offseason clean-up, he has progressed steadily in his rehab but has yet to take contact in training camp practices.
Speaking during a Sunday Zoom call with reporters ahead of Wednesday’s session, the team’s head coach addressed the possibility of ramping up physical contact as the regular season draws closer, with the start of the 2026 NFL season just three weeks away.
“We’ll have to see. That’s a possibility. Yes, we’ll just have to see where that’s at. I don’t think it’s a necessity this week. We’re still three weeks out from the game, the first game, and then after that. We’ll see where he’s at this week. We’ll see how he feels (Monday).”
John Harbaugh, New York Giants Head Coach
As a rookie in 2024, the LSU product recorded 1,204 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns before his injury-shortened 2025 season. Nabers is expected to return to his role as the team’s No. 1 receiver once he takes the field again this season. The franchise continues to treat his reintegration with caution, keeping him on a monitored workload as the opening week approaches.
