Nabers sits out Giants practice with soreness in surgically repaired knee

New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers did not practice Wednesday because of soreness in his right knee, the same knee that needed ACL surgery last season. The team's official Week 5 injury report lists him as a non-participant ahead of Sunday's game at Washington.

Nabers said the knee felt worse than it does in a normal week. "We'll see how the next day goes, but through the week, I'm usually sore," he told reporters, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan. "But this one was kind of a little bit more sore. I always continue to fight through it." Asked whether it could keep him out Sunday, he said "we'll see" and added that he usually improves as the week goes on.

Raanan wrote that Nabers left the open portion of practice to sit with trainers and appeared to walk with a slight limp afterward. Coach John Harbaugh sounded unbothered. "He's doing great, yeah," Harbaugh said, and when told Nabers had called the knee sore: "I'll take him at his word then."

The timing hurts. Nabers caught six of seven targets for 112 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 36-24 win over Arizona, his most productive game since the injury. He leads the Giants with 208 receiving yards after totaling 96 over the first three games. Giants Wire noted he also had a second surgery this spring to clean up scar tissue in the knee.

New York has little cover at receiver. The team placed Braxton Berrios on injured reserve Wednesday with a season-ending foot injury and released Odell Beckham Jr. on Sept. 29, according to its transaction log. Tight end Isaiah Likely (knee, groin) and running back Cam Skattebo (shoulder) were limited Wednesday.

As of Thursday morning, Wednesday's report is the latest official word. Thursday's practice participation comes out this afternoon, and Friday's report will carry game designations.

For RSO owners, one missed practice is no reason to move Nabers in a trade or bench him yet. Keep him in your lineup plans, but line up a receiver you can start Sunday if he stays out again Thursday or draws a designation Friday. Limited or full work Thursday would point toward him playing in Washington. A second straight absence would make Sunday a genuine question, and because this is the surgically repaired knee, dynasty owners should keep watching how his practice load holds up after Week 5.