The Dallas Cowboys will begin the 2026 regular season on the road against the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. It's a big NFC East duel to start the year for two teams that will have playoff aspirations.
Divisional games are always tough, and with Jim Harbaugh now on the Giants' sideline, there's some newfound faith in East Rutherford. However, the latest update on New York receiver Malik Nabers could be highly beneficial for the Cowboys when the rivals meet.
When speaking to the media on Thursday, Harbaugh revealed the team doesn't know when Nabers will be back on the field.
"Not a simple knee [injury], you know? So, um, he's in the slog of it, the grind of it, I would say. So, he's fighting through it, and he's here every day working hard at it. Just impossible to predict. I mean, the goal is to start the season and get out there sometime in training camp. That'd be the goal, and we'll see what happens," Harbaugh said, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan.
Raanan added that New York has its "fingers crossed about Week 1", which indicates there's a real possibility Nabers won't be on the field against Dallas.
Doubt is creeping in about Malik Nabers playing vs. the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1
Nabers tore his ACL back in September and underwent surgery several weeks after the injury, which featured a full meniscus repair as well. A torn meniscus typically adds weeks to the recovery timeline.
It was then reported that the 2024 sixth overall pick needed a second surgery to remove scar tissue that created stiffness in his knee.
Even with the season still four months away, the Giants appear to have some doubt creeping in. Returning from a major knee injury takes time -- physically and mentally -- especially once the pads come on. Nabers already hitting a few hurdles in that process does not bode well.
For a Cowboys team that has a new defensive coordinator running the show in Christian Parker, potentially not having to deal with Nabers is huge. He's clearly New York's No. 1 receiver and has found success against Dallas.
In three games versus the Cowboys, Nabers caught 29 passes for 351 yards and two touchdowns, including two games with more than 100 receiving yards. In each outing, Nabers has gotten 13-plus targets. The Giants made it a priority to feature him in the aerial attack, leading to plenty of success. In Nabers last contest against Dallas, the LSU product dominated to the tune of nine grabs for 167 yards and two scores.
It's no secret that Nabers is very talented, but it seems like Dallas may get the luxury of him being on the sidelines. Looking at the rest of the receiver room, that would be massive.
The Giants would likely have Darius Slayton, Malachi Fields, Darnell Mooney, Isaiah Hodgins, and Calvin Austin III as the other top options.
None of those guys should have Dallas worried, and it will make things easier to defend. For a Cowboys team looking to bounce back and make the playoffs, stacking every win they can get will be needed, and with this Nabers update emerging, luck may be on their side in the opener.
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