Giants training camp opens without Malik Nabers on PUP list, but Week 1 status remains unclear

The New York Giants open training camp Wednesday with a positive but cautious development: wide receiver Malik Nabers is not on the physically unable to perform list. That means the 2025 first-round pick can be gradually integrated into practice as he works back from the torn ACL and torn meniscus he suffered in Week 4 last season.

Nabers underwent a second “clean-up” surgery in the spring to remove scar tissue that had caused stiffness, raising questions about his readiness for the regular season. Avoiding the PUP list is a necessary first step, but it does not confirm he will be 100 percent healthy for the Sept. 13 opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

How the PUP list affects Nabers and the team

If a player begins camp on the active/PUP list, he still counts on the 90-man roster. If he remains on that list when rosters are cut to 53 on Aug. 30, he shifts to the reserve/PUP list and must sit out at least the first four games. By keeping Nabers off the PUP list, the Giants preserve the option to evaluate him week by week — even if he is not ready for Week 1, they can simply hold him out without locking in a four-game absence.

The team’s approach echoes the handling of left tackle Andrew Thomas last year. Thomas spent the first four weeks of camp on the PUP list, was activated nearly three weeks before the opener, and then missed the first two games before making his debut in Week 3. Nabers’ timeline is not identical, but the precedent shows that a delayed start does not necessarily mean a long-term absence.

Key facts

Other injury updates: Slayton, Skattebo and PUP-list players

Wide receiver Darius Slayton also avoided the PUP list after missing most of the spring due to sports hernia surgery. His presence gives the Giants depth alongside Nabers, though Slayton’s workload will need to be managed early in camp.

Running back Cam Skattebo, who suffered a severe ankle injury in Week 8 last season, is not on the PUP list. He participated in minicamp in June, so that outcome was expected. However, Skattebo’s durability remains a concern. An assistant who was a candidate for the Giants’ coaching staff told The Athletic, “The way that guy plays is not sustainable, and you’re limited in the scheme you can run with him.” The Giants have little proven depth behind Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr., and the team could still look to upgrade the running back room before the season.

Three players will start camp on the PUP list: tight end Thomas Fidone (foot clean-up surgery in June), defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris (Achilles tear in May), and defensive tackle Sam Roberts (undisclosed surgery). Robertson-Harris has not been placed on injured reserve, suggesting the team holds out hope for a late-season return, but keeping a roster spot for him until cut day will be difficult as camp injuries mount. The timelines for Fidone and Roberts are unclear, and both entered camp on the outside of the roster bubble.

Harbaugh’s first camp: a more demanding schedule

The Giants are also adjusting to a new coaching style. John Harbaugh, in his first training camp as head coach, has scheduled significantly more practice days than his predecessor Brian Daboll. Under Daboll, the team never held practices on more than three consecutive days. Harbaugh’s camp opens with four straight days, followed by a day off, then six straight practices — the maximum allowed by the collective bargaining agreement.

Over the 5.5 weeks from camp opening to the mandatory Labor Day break, Harbaugh has scheduled 23 practices compared to 19 under Daboll last season. That is a meaningful increase given how restricted practice time has become under recent CBAs. The extra workload will test the team’s conditioning and depth, particularly for players like Nabers and Skattebo who are coming off injuries.

What this means for Giants fans

The Giants’ decision to keep Nabers off the PUP list is a deliberate signal: they believe he can be ready for Week 1, but they are not forcing the timeline. If he suffers a setback, the team retains the flexibility to hold him out without triggering a mandatory four-game absence. For a franchise that is relying on Nabers as its top receiving threat, every practice rep he can get in a new offensive system is valuable.

The larger picture is that camp is about more than one player. The fates of Fidone, Robertson-Harris and the running back depth will shape the 53-man roster. And the more rigorous schedule under Harbaugh may accelerate decisions about who can handle the load.

Source: The Athletic, “Giants training camp preview: Why N.Y. decided to keep Malik Nabers off PUP list” – https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7474234/2026/07/28/new-york-giants-training-camp-preview-malik-nabers/