The fact that Malik Nabers is avoiding the PUP list shouldn't alter the New York Giants' search for a wide receiver.
The New York Giants delivered some tremendous news on Thursday, as it was revealed that wide receiver Malik Nabers would likely avoid the PUP list.
That means all of the talk about Nabers missing the first month of the season can now be put to rest, and he will probably be on the field when the Giants face the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1.
But while the Nabers update is obviously terrific, it does not change the fact that New York could still use an insurance policy.
Nabers being active is great, but that does not necessarily mean he will be 100 percent right out of the gate. In fact, it's fair to wonder if the 23-year-old will ever be his normal self at any point in 2026.
The Giants added a host of wide receivers this offseason. They signed Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III in March. They selected Malachi Fields in the NFL Draft a month later. Then, in June, New York added Odell Beckham Jr. and JuJu Smith-Schuster.
But in spite of all of those additions, you can't help but feel that the Giants are still lacking in the wide receiver department.
The good news? There are still several intriguing and productive wide outs available, as Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen and Deebo Samuel remain up for grabs in free agency.
Keenan Allen. Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images.New York has a tick over $10 million in cap room to make another signing, and there are also always methods for the Giants to free up some more cash.
Perhaps Big Blue has checked in with at least one of those three veteran pass-catchers. If not, it's hard to understand why.
Diggs has over 1,000 yards last season. Allen and Samuel may not be what they once were, but they are still both productive and could actually serve as No. 2 receivers in New York.
I loved the signing of Mooney. He finished with 1,000 yards back in 2021, and he came close to that number again in 2024. But he has been wildly inconsistent throughout his career. Austin is a nice, speedy weapon, but he is really just a slot receiver and not much else.
Then, there's Fields, who I think has tremendous potential. His 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame reminds one of Plaxico Burress. But he's just a rookie, and a third-round one, at that. It would be asking a lot of him to have a huge season in Year 1.
Darius Slayton? He's coming off of core muscle surgery, and let's not forget just how awful he was last year. Beckham didn't play at all in 2025. Smith-Schuster finished with under 300 yards.
The Giants have a lot of bodies in their receiving corps, but is it a matter of quantity over quality right now?
Barring a twist over the next several weeks, Nabers looks like he will be available in the season opener. That's fantastic. But New York could still use another weapon, especially with Jaxson Dart heading into a pivotal sophomore campaign.
One of Diggs, Allen or Samuel should still be on the Giants' radar regardless of the promising Nabers update.
