Add The New York Post on Google The uncertainty around Malik Nabers has John Harbaugh on edge.
On a day that could’ve been celebrated for Nabers practicing in full (along with every other member of the Giants) and looking ready to face the Cowboys, Harbaugh slipped from forthcoming preseason mode into a more secretive, fiery and contentious version as he was peppered with questions about his star receiver’s availability for Sunday’s season opener.
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“We can put a stop to all these questions,” Harbaugh said after Wednesday’s practice. “Because I’m not going to tell you who is playing in the game. I’m not going to tell you who is starting. I’m not going to tell you what package we have in. I’m not going to tell you what plays we are running. I’m not going to tell you any of that. So we can have a great press conference, or we can make it uncomfortable.”
“But I’m not going to tell you because when you know, the Cowboys know — or every other team we play knows. And that’s not in the competitive interest of our football team. Does that make sense? So, I think you can respect that.”
Nabers looked smooth running, cutting and jumping during the 15-minute practice viewing window. But he has been clear since January that he will play for the first time since tearing his ACL and meniscus last September when he decides that he is 100 percent.
There was a point in the offseason — before he avoided the PUP list at the start of training camp — when league sources believed Nabers was eyeing an October return.
Giants head coach John Harbaugh talks to the media after practice. Bill Kostroun/New York Post “I think he’s ready to go,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see, though. It’s still four or five days until we play. If he’s ready to go — and he feels like he’s ready to go — then he’ll play. If he’s not and he’s not ready, then he won’t play.”
Nabers was bumped around at the end of training camp to get used to contact. He has been out of the no-contact red jersey since Aug. 24.
“You don’t do anything special,” Harbaugh said. “No, we’re not going to go tackle him in practice when we’re not having a tackling practice. We’re not scrimmaging out here today. We’re preparing for the Cowboys, and he’s preparing for the Cowboys just like everybody else on the team is.”
Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) practices. Bill Kostroun/New York Post Nabers isn’t the only receiver whose status had Harbaugh fired up.
Speaking for the first time since the Giants cut longest-tenured player Darius Slayton, despite being on the hook for $9 million guaranteed and being left with four receivers on the 53-man roster, Harbaugh fell back on the cliché that personnel decisions are made based on the team’s best short- and long-term interest.
“No strategy to it,” Harbaugh said. “There’s a lot of factors. I mean, maybe you can get a trade. Maybe you try to wait as long as you can to see if you work out a contract change, right? There’s a lot of reasons to it, which I really don’t feel obligated to explain.”
Harbaugh declined to say if Slayton was asked to take a pay cut, which was the case in 2022.
“I appreciate the questions,” Harbaugh said. “You kind of ask them kind of in a sharp way, like you’re mad or something about it. I don’t really get the emotion coming from you [reporters], but we did it because it’s the best thing for our team.”
