Malik Nabers' injury raises red flags as sports doctor weighs in on Giants WR's status - "You haven't played in 5+ months"

Malik Nabers is coming off of an incredible rookie season with the New York Giants last year. He performed as one of the best overall wide receivers in the NFL, despite playing in an extremely weak offense. This includes recording 109 receptions for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns.

One potential issue with Nabers' outlook for the upcoming 2025 NFL season is a lingering toe injury that he has reportedly been dealing with during the offseason. He has yet to participate in on-field activities with the Giants so far, which has Dr. David J. Chao concerned. He described why during a recent appearance on Sports Injury Central.

Chao stated:

"If you're not on the field in June, you haven't played football in 5+ months. You've only got two months before real football is being played. If you're not ready in five months, what's two more months going to do, right? He's a speed and quickness, in and out of routes guy, and he's going to need his big toe for that."

"Apparently that was from a college injury that's lingered or come up again, so now the word chronic comes into play. So yeah, I do have some worries for Malik Nabers."

Malik Nabers dealt with a toe injury during his college football career with the LSU Tigers, so Dr. Chao is worried that this could be an ongoing issue that will continue to affect him going forward. He called it a potentially "chronic" injury, so it may be something that the Giants need to manage with their young superstar.

Brian Daboll gives Malik Nabers injury update

Brian Daboll and Malik Nabers

Brian Daboll doesn't appear to be as concerned about Malik Nabers' toe injury as Dr. Chao. He gave an update on the situation during his media availability portion of the New York Giants' offseason workouts.

Daboll explained:

"We're being mindful of his toe injury that he's had. Nothing serious, but we're being smart with him in terms of the rehab part of it. So that's where we're at ... He's had it for a while, back in college, too, so just trying to be smart ... He did a little bit of walkthrough here, he's progressing, he'll be okay."

Daboll insisted that the Giants are simply exercising additional caution with Nabers at this point in the offseason, but they are not concerned about his outlook for the upcoming 2025 NFL season. They expect him to be ready to go as he continues to progress, which is good news for new quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart as they come up with an offensive game plan this year.