Harbaugh: Nabers Could Shed Red Jersey This Week
The coach stopped short of a Week 1 promise, and Nabers has yet to take contact in practice or appear in a preseason game since tearing his ACL last October.
John Harbaugh said Sunday that Malik Nabers could come out of his red no-contact jersey this week, the clearest sign yet that the Giants' top receiver is nearing the next checkpoint in his return from a torn ACL.
Asked whether Nabers might shed the jersey, Harbaugh said:
"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 tomorrow."
Video from the Zoom session shows Harbaugh delivering the answer:
Harbaugh made the comments during his Zoom media availability with Giants beat reporters Sunday, according to a transcript posted by the team. ESPN's Jordan Raanan captured the exchange as it happened:
Newsday's Evan Barnes reported the same exchange, via CBS Sports/RotoWire.
Harbaugh did not name a timetable. He repeated that the Giants' Sept. 13 opener against Dallas is still three weeks away and said taking Nabers out of the jersey "isn't a necessity" this week.
Nabers has worn the red jersey since returning to team drills Aug. 17, his first team reps since tearing his right ACL and a meniscus last October. He has not appeared in a preseason game this summer.
Nabers has not named a target date of his own. Asked in July whether he expected to play Week 1, he said only: "There's no target date. Just stacking days." Harbaugh said the Giants plan alternating padded practice days this week, with a walkthrough Thursday.