How John Harbaugh helped Malik Nabers get over mental hurdle in return from knee injury

The first-year Giants coach took an unorthodox approach in preparing his star receiver for Week 1

Sep 14, 2026 at 11:07 am ET • 3 min read

Malik Nabers' status for Week 1 was a true game-time decision. The New York Giants wide receiver entered Sunday unsure about whether he would suit up for the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys, and it took until pregame warmups for him to decide that he was ready to make his return from a torn ACL and meniscus.

The decision may have had more to do with Nabers' mental hurdle than the strength of his knee.

Anyone who has recovered from a serious injury understands the physical element is just half the battle. Convincing yourself that you can do what you were once capable of — without the fear of reinjury — is the other element. It is part of the reason why Nabers did not even invite his family to the NFC East showdown.

"It's a one-on-one battle that you gotta go through," Nabers said postgame. "You gotta do it for yourself. I didn't want my family here and to feel like I let them down by not playing. I had to do it for myself first. I had to go out there, feel it out, feel what I could do, and I felt good."

It was not until Nabers got onto the field at MetLife Stadium and felt the adrenaline of game day that he got past the uncertainty. The Giants' first pass of the game, a nine-yarder to Nabers, had to have helped him settle his nerves in the first quarter. But what John Harbaugh did to his star receiver in the hours before kickoff did not hurt, either. He shook off Nabers' nerves by tackling him. 

"It was right before we were supposed to start our walkthrough," quarterback Jaxson Dart said. "Things were just up in the air. We didn't know exactly what was going to happen. Me and Coach Harbs had some conversations, and he was like, 'I think once he gets hit for the first time and realizes that he's OK, that he's gonna feel confident.' I think in his mind that triggered, 'Maybe I should tackle him right then and there.'

"We were all just standing there, and then all of the sudden, 'Lik goes down on the ground. Our team is super protective of him, so we all turned to look. And it's Coach Harbs tackling 'Lik. And then he pops up and he goes, 'See, you're all good.'"

Nothing like a pregame tackle from your head coach to settle the nerves.

That is the Harbaugh effect. Not only did the first-year Giants coach help Nabers realize that he was, in fact, ready to play for the first time since October 2025, but he also guided his team to a 28-20 win over a division rival.

Nabers caught six passes on nine targets in the win, and he tallied 69 yards to finish second on the team in production through the air. He took a back seat to tight end Isaiah Likely, who paced the squad and scored two touchdowns, but the first game back from knee surgery was never going to be about filling the stat sheet. The top priority was for Nabers to prove that he can play. And he did just that.

"I put in great work," Nabers said. "Everyone had seen it. I was here early, late. I felt like my team needed to see me out. It brings out another focus when your teammates can see what you've overcome and that you're out there, giving it your all for the team. I think they needed to see that, and I'm happy they got to see that. I'm happy that I was able to come out there and feel good and give it my all."