Giants legend sounds alarms about Malik Nabers after worrisome update

New York Giants fans were understandably concerned to learn this week that wide receiver Malik Nabers needed a second surgery for a "clean up" regarding the torn ACL and torn meniscus he suffered in late September 2025. 

During Thursday's edition of the WFAN show that he co-hosts with Evan Roberts, Giants legend and NFL analyst Tiki Barber sounded some alarms while speaking about the latest Nabers-related development. 

Why Malik Nabers may be going through a "hard" rehab

"When you tear your ACL and it’s, let’s say, a clean tear of your ACL, it is so easy to have that surgery done," Barber explained, per NJ Advance Media. "You wait a couple of weeks. You strengthen your quad. You have the repair. The hard part is the rehab, getting the flexibility back. Ultimately, it comes back, and you’re fine. ...It’s when you also tear your meniscus that it becomes an issue, because it’s hard to repair that fatty pad tissue." 

Per the latest update, people within the Giants are "still hoping" that Nabers will be good to go for the team's Week 1 "Sunday Night Football" matchup versus the rival Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 13. Such a comment suggests there are concerns about what Nabers may and/or may not be able to do from the start of training camp through the end of August.

Is Malik Nabers about to deal with a "consistent issue" after his setback?

"We now hear he’s had a clean up because he had stiffness in the joint, which tells me that something kind of got loose in there," Barber added during his comments. "And so I, unfortunately, feel like this is going to be a consistent issue for Malik Nabers." 

A recent report hinted that the Giants could eventually consider bringing free-agent wide receiver and fan-favorite Odell Beckham Jr. back to what was his NFL home from the 2014 draft through the 2018 season. As much as pockets of Giants supporters would love to root for Beckham during a game once more, the club giving the 33-year-old even a veteran-minimum salary could indicate that Nabers won't be 100 percent when Week 1 arrives.