Giants WR Nabers feeling 'good' but mum on playing Week 1

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Wide receiver Malik Nabers is feeling "real good" less than two weeks before the New York Giants' season opener against the Dallas Cowboys but remains noncommittal about playing Week 1.

Nabers is coming back from a torn ACL last year and has progressed to full practices throughout the summer. Everything seemingly has been trending in a positive direction.

"I feel pretty good. I feel real good to be honest," Nabers said. "Like I said, you're going to feel good but there's still some things that you're going to have to check off the box for you to participate. So I'm still going through that, still listening to the trainer, still listening to doctors and sharing everything with them."

Nabers said he was going to keep the final few checkpoints in-house. He added it wasn't anything too big.

But he did admit there was some uncertainty about whether he would be the pre-injury Nabers right away. Long term, however, that wasn't a concern.

"Will it take some time? Who knows?" he said. "But I know for sure if I'm out there, I'm going to run some routes."

The dynamic wide receiver has already been practicing in team drills this summer and recently shed the red no-contact jersey usually reserved for quarterbacks.

Still, he's not quite prepared to declare himself ready to play the Cowboys, even though the expectation is he will be playing barring some sort of setback. The Giants and Nabers have seemingly been gearing up for the Sunday night opener against Dallas on Sept. 13 since the first day of training camp.

"My mind is focused on playing the regular season. Playing whenever that is. Playing what[ever] team that is," Nabers said when asked if he was focusing on prepping for the Cowboys. "I'm going to be making sure that I'm ready to go out there and I'm healthy enough to play all four quarters and that nobody's got to make sure I'm not in on every play or they have to make sure I got enough snaps to play or my snaps are limited.

"So that's the main focus is just trying to be out there as much as I can."

Regardless of Nabers' role in Week 1, the Giants will have Odell Beckham Jr. back on the field at wide receiver for the first time in eight years. He made the 53-man roster on Sunday.

Coach John Harbaugh intends to use Beckham, whether it be as the fourth or fifth receiver.

"He'll be in that receiver group," Harbaugh said. "He'll be rotating in different personnel groups. He'll be playing."

Beckham had to earn that role with a strong summer, admitting there was unfamiliar pressure to win a job. It's something he has never experienced in his professional life.

After being out of the league for a year, making the Giants' roster was emotional, especially after having his family in town watching the final preseason game just days earlier.

"I had kind of those tears when I got back to the hotel after figuring out I'm going to be here," Beckham said. "It's an opportunity to rewrite some of the last bit of the chapters. Don't know [if this is the] last year [of my career] or whatever it is, I just know I'm going to give my all."

Beckham spent the first five seasons of his career with the Giants after being drafted with the 12th pick out of LSU. His career began with a bang, which included three straight seasons of at least 1,200 yards.

He did it all in the No. 13 jersey he made famous. But Beckham has worn No. 3 this summer while Jalin Hyatt has 13.

Beckham said there will be a "conversation" about that now that he has made the team and Hyatt sits on the practice squad.