When the New York Giants finally found their quarterback of the future, they also lost their most explosive playmaker. In Week 4 of last season, rookie signal-caller Jaxson Dart made his first NFL start and led a previously winless Giants squad to a stunning victory over the playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers. But that inspiring win came with a heavy price: Malik Nabers, the team's dynamic wide receiver, went down with a season-ending ACL tear in the second quarter.

Now, as the 2026 season approaches, all eyes are on Nabers' recovery. And a recent report from The Athletic's Dan Duggan has raised some eyebrows. According to Duggan, Nabers underwent a second surgery on his knee "multiple weeks ago" to remove scar tissue that was causing stiffness. The procedure was described as a "clean up" and isn't expected to alter his recovery timeline, but it's naturally got fans paying close attention.

The good news? The Giants are still hopeful that their star receiver will be ready for their Week 1 "Sunday Night Football" showdown against the Dallas Cowboys. That's a massive game for a team looking to build on last year's momentum, and having Nabers on the field would be a huge boost.

This latest update comes on the heels of ESPN's Jordan Raanan expressing caution about Nabers' status. "Malik Nabers' injury is something we've got to keep a very close eye on," Raanan said last week. "The more I hear, the more I'm like, 'Alright, Week 1 seems like that's in serious question. We'll have to monitor that all summer.'"

It's worth remembering that Nabers initially underwent ACL and meniscus surgery on October 28. Recovering from that kind of injury is never a straight line, and a second "clean up" procedure isn't uncommon for athletes dealing with post-surgery stiffness. For Giants fans, the key takeaway is that while there's no reason to panic, this is definitely a situation worth watching closely as training camp approaches.