Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers is active for Sunday night's season opener against the Cowboys as he returns from a torn ACL suffered in his right knee in Week 4 of last season.
Nabers was listed as questionable before the game and was a full participant in practice throughout the week, handling a majority of the first-team reps in the leadup to Sunday night. He also went through a workout with the team's return-to-play trainer before the final decision was made.
Coach John Harbaugh said earlier in the week that Nabers would play if he felt ready, noting the decision was ultimately in the receiver's hands. Nabers made clear the team was leaving the final call up to him as he wanted to be sure he could handle a full workload.
Nabers had 18 catches for 271 yards and two touchdowns in four games last season before the injury, after posting over 1,200 yards with seven touchdowns in his rookie season. He immediately slots back in as the Giants' No. 1 receiver and is set to play his first full game with Jaxson Dart as the team's starting quarterback, having been injured early in Dart's first start last season.
Veteran Odell Beckham Jr., who rejoined the Giants this offseason and has dealt with multiple torn ACLs himself, served as a sounding board for Nabers throughout his recovery. Beckham said Nabers would naturally feel some fear and anxiety returning from the injury, but that the decision on when to come back had to be Nabers' own.
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