Last month, Malik Nabers shrugged things off when asked about his back injury that caused him to miss the final two preseason games. “A minor thing,” the second-year wideout noted. If the chatter carried any weight, Nabers’ complication was a little more than “normal camp tightness.” Of course, at that time, there was never any doubt he’d be ready to go when the season kicked off. But now?

The Giants will kick off their 2025 campaign with a divisional showdown against the Commanders in Week 1. And just a couple of days before the game, the head coach, Brian Daboll, confirmed that the team is backing Nabers down on Friday’s practice. “I’m going to back down on Malik (Nabers) today,” Daboll said on Friday, September 4.

However, the HC confirmed that the second-year wideout will be fine ahead of the season opener, addressing the wideout’s back toughness. “But he’ll be all right,” Daboll added. “He’ll be fine for the game. We’re gonna back down on him, (his) back’s a little tight.” The minor back complication kept Nabers out for nearly a couple of weeks during the Giants’ training camp and held him out of the final exhibition games.

It’s been anything but smooth for Malik Nabers in Year 2. A toe issue lingered from college into last season, a shoulder tweak cut short a summer practice, and most recently a back problem sidelined him. Still, the 22-year-old insists the stop-and-start rhythm won’t matter once the games count.

“Yeah, I feel like I’m always ready,” Nabers said. “When it’s game time and those lights are on, I believe my body’s going to turn it on.” The Giants are counting on it. Nabers is their WR1, and despite Brian Daboll’s acknowledgment that his back could linger, the team expects him ready for Week 1. Early signs of chemistry with new quarterback Russell Wilson only reinforce how central he is to New York’s offense.

Malik Nabers makes feeling clear on Russell Wilson

Malik Nabers has already provided glimpses of his explosiveness as the Giants’ top WR last year. The wideout started every game that he appeared in but one, caught over 100 passes, and recorded 1,204 yards while also tallying 7 touchdowns. Count NFL records, including most receptions by a rookie WR in a single season (109) and most targets by a rookie in a season (170), safe to say Nabers is set to become the next big thing for the Giants.

But his second season is a whole different ballgame. No more Daniel Jones. It’s veteran Russell Wilson under center now. And through the offseason, the 22-year-old wideout has clearly been building a good relationship with his new QB, even after suffering from minor back, toe, and shoulder injuries. “We’ve been on the same page a lot,” he said a little over a week ago.

Nabers continued on these lines as he added, “That connection is going to keep growing. It can never be as great as we want it to be, but it’s going to be as good as we hope it’s going to be. But we continue to still get work, try to get those catches in and out. But the relationship has been going good.” His quarterback echoed that belief, with Russ doubling down on the rookie’s confidence. “I think he’s going to have a great year,” he said.

That belief carries weight given Wilson’s history with receivers. Oddly enough, the last time a wideout topped 1,000 yards with him under center was Tyler Lockett in 2021. Across Wilson’s career, only six 1,000-yard seasons have come from his receivers—Lockett three times, Doug Baldwin twice, and DK Metcalf once. Nabers, meanwhile, racked up 1,204 yards on 109 catches as a rookie last year. Outside of Metcalf’s 2020 season, no receiver has ever put up that much yardage with Wilson at quarterback. The precedent suggests Nabers could reset the standard.

“The best thing about him is obviously he’s a threat in the downfield, but he’s a threat every time he touches the ball, whether it’s short, midrange, all the different things he can do,” Wilson added. Coming from a passer who built chemistry with DK and Lockett in Seattle, those words carry weight. Now, Nabers is expected to return healthy against the Commanders in Week 1, where his connection with Wilson will get its first real test.