Latest Malik Nabers injury update strips Giants fans from chance of watching highly anticipated matchup in joint practices
New York Giants star wide receiver remains sidelined in training camp, meaning we won’t get to see him face off with New York Jets star Sauce Gardner.
A lot of buzz was building for a battle between two young elite players heading into joint practices between the New York Giants and New York Jets. Many were excited to see Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers face off with Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner.
Sadly, we were robbed of that opportunity due to a lingering issue with Nabers’ toe.
Nabers continues to miss practice time
When speaking with the media before practice, Daboll highlighted a long list of Giants players who would not be available. Nabers was the most notable after he also did not participate in the Giants’ first preseason game against the Buffalo Bills.
Joint practices are a unique opportunity to see matchups between premier players on both rosters. Having Nabers go toe-to-toe with Gardner would have been a nice gauge of how well he’ll perform this season.
Going against one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL is a massive jump from the Giants’ talent in their struggling cornerback room.
Ultimately, Nabers’ missing time and not participating in joint practices isn’t a huge red flag. Since the start of training camp, Nabers has been the most impactful and unstoppable player on the Giants’ roster.
However, what compounds the issue is that wide receiver Jalin Hyatt has also been missing practice time and has not made the trip to Buffalo. Wide receiver was already a thin position group for the Giants, so a player like Hyatt is not able to capitalize on an opportunity for more reps.
Additionally, it’s incredibly disappointing not to see guard Evan Neal participating in practice because of the ramifications of his missed reps. Neal is challenged daily by the Giants’ deep and gifted defensive line, but the Jets unit, led by Quinnen Williams, provides a different challenge.
As Neal transitions from guard to tackle and hopes to crack the starting lineup, his lack of availability continues to hurt him. Neal’s performance at the start of camp received mixed reviews, but it showed signs of promise. It’s hard to build momentum from the sideline.
Hopefully a number of the Giants players still battling injuries will be ready to go this Saturday, August 16, for their second preseason game.
