Old concern creeps up on Giants' Malik Nabers ahead of Commanders game

A somewhat concerning back injury and a lingering toe issue slowed second-year New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers throughout the summer. 

One of those problems is impacting Nabers once again ahead of the Giants' Week 1 game at the rival Washington Commanders on Sunday. 

Why the Giants "backed down" with Malik Nabers on Friday

Per CBS Sports/RotoWire, Giants head coach Brian Daboll confirmed while speaking with reporters on Friday that the club planned to "back down" from Nabers practicing ahead of the weekend because of what Daboll referred to as "back tightness." 

However, Daboll added that Nabers will "be all right" for Sunday's regular-season opener. Back issues are often unpredictable, but it sounds like the Giants are merely being cautious regarding the 22-year-old's availability. 

Why Malik Nabers is likely eager to face Commanders

There are multiple reasons why Nabers will want to do everything possible to take the field on Sunday. As a rookie, he torched the Washington defense to the tune of 10 receptions on 18 targets for 127 yards and a touchdown in a 21-18 loss in Week 2. He then recorded nine catches on 11 targets for 59 yards with no scores in a 27-22 home defeat against the Commanders in Week 9.

ESPN's Jordan Raanan noted Friday that Nabers and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels remain best friends after they were teammates at LSU. While the 2024 Giants finished the season with a woeful record of 3-14, Daniels guided his team to the 2024 NFC Championship Game en route to earning Offensive Rookie of the Year Award honors. 

"I was like, 'Enough is enough,'" Nabers recently said about Big Blue suffering two losses to Daniels' team. "'I'm coming to get you.'"

On Friday morning, ESPN Bet had the Giants as 6.5-point underdogs for Sunday's showdown, with Washington as a 5.5-point favorite. These odds suggest that Giants quarterback Russell Wilson will have Nabers in the lineup when he makes his official Big Blue debut. 

"Wilson fed the ball to Nabers during training camp, so expect plenty of opportunities against a suspect Commanders secondary," The Athletic's Dan Duggan shared on Friday.