Surgeon explains why Giants' Malik Nabers hasn't undergone surgery one month after his injury

Eyebrows were raised on Sunday when NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that New York Giants star Malik Nabers required one month of "pre-hab" before having surgery to repair the torn ACL and meniscus he suffered on Sept. 28.

In an article published Tuesday, NFL reporter Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reported that Nabers is expected to undergo the procedure "soon." Dunleavy also spoke with NYU Grossman School of Medicine assistant professor of orthopedic surgery, Dr. Guillem Gonzalez-Lomas, about why Nabers has waited so long to undergo surgery. 

Will waiting for surgery allow Malik Nabers to return from injury quicker?

"Some players will have a very significant amount of swelling after this injury, and operating on them right away can actually lead to significant stiffness down the line because it’s an additional trauma to the knee — even though it’s being done for good," Gonzalez-Lomas explained. "It actually ends up speeding up recovery to wait until the knee is very quiet — not a lot of swelling, and range of motion is essentially full, when the knee feels almost normal other than the instability through the ACL. It sounds counterintuitive, but in the long run, it limits the risk for complications related to the surgery." 

Giants fans never truly experienced what the team's offense could achieve with Nabers, rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart and first-year running back Cam Skattebo in the lineup together. Nabers was hurt during New York's 21-18 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Dart's first regular-season start, while Skattebo dislocated his right ankle in New York's 38-20 loss at the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. 

Could Malik Nabers miss start of 2026 season?

Dunleavy echoed others and noted that Skattebo "should be on the field for the start of 2026 training camp." However, it sounds like Nabers' recovery timeline is more uncertain.

"The typical return to play for an ACL injury is about 9-12 months," Gonzalez-Lomas added. "You’d really be right at the beginning of the window. I think [Nabers] would be back to doing training on the field. Whether or not he is ready to actually play in July or the next few months is still up in the air." 

The Giants fell to 2-6 on the season via the defeat in Philadelphia. Still, stories continue to suggest Big Blue could acquire a wide receiver before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. While it's far too early to know, it sounds like New York may need somebody other than Nabers to serve as their WR1 when they open the 2026 campaign.