If Malik Nabers is going to carry Jaxson Dart through his first start for the Giants, he will do it on a painful shoulder.
Nabers didn’t practice Wednesday because of a shoulder injury that presumably occurred when he crash-landed in the end zone after leaving his feet to try for an acrobatic catch last week against the Chiefs. He previously had been managing back and toe injuries.
Is Nabers confident that he will play Sunday against the Chargers?
“I’ll see,” Nabers said. “Decisions will be made closer to the game.”
It sure would be easier for Dart to have success replacing the benched Russell Wilson if he has his No. 1 receiver available.
“He’s done a great job of just being ready,” Nabers said. “I see him during practice — he’s behind taking those [mental] reps, voicing over the plays to the other receivers. On scout team, he’s always been accurate, whether that’s using his legs, pushing the ball down the field, being smart with the football.”
Dart will be the sixth quarterback that Nabers has caught passes from over the first 19 games played of his career. So, what has he learned from the carousel?
“They’re going to find a way to get No. 1 the ball,” Nabers quipped, referring to himself in the third person.
The combination of Nabers not practicing in the spring and sitting out preseason games plus Dart taking almost zero reps with the starters during training camp means that Dart and Nabers have had little experience building an on-field rapport.
Nabers’ latest injury makes it harder to start now.
“I have spent time with him through the season, now, offseason, so I’m going to support him,” Nabers said. “The decision is not up to me. My job is to run routes, catch the ball no matter who’s throwing me the football. I still have a job to do: Go play football.”
Nabers said he and head coach Brian Daboll watched film together of Dart at Ole Miss and the deep ball stuck out.
“I’m excited to see him play,” Nabers said.
The rest of the injury report includes: K Graham Gano (groin), TE Theo Johnson (toe), DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches (foot) and RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (shoulder) not practicing, while LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (calf), DE Chauncey Golston (ankle), CB Art Green (hip), ILB Darius Muasau (concussion), C John Michael Schmitz Jr. (neck), WR Darius Slayton (calf) and LT Andrew Thomas (foot) were limited participants.
Gano — who was injured in pregame warmups last week and gutted his way through one field-goal attempt — already has been ruled out for Sunday. Younghoe Koo, who was signed Tuesday, and Jude McAtamney will compete this week for one practice-squad elevation to kick against the Chargers, Daboll said.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
