Malik Nabers injury update: Giants rookie WR exits 'Thursday Night Football' with concussion

Gilbert McGregor

Malik Nabers injury update: Giants rookie WR exits 'Thursday Night Football' with concussion image

Brad Penner

An electrifying performance from Giants star rookie WR Malik Nabers came to a scary end in Week 4.

Throughout New York's "Thursday Night Football" matchup with Dallas, Nabers needed extra time to get up from a few big hits. With the Giants trailing by five points late in the fourth quarter, Nabers was unable to wrangle in a pass on fourth down and remained on the ground for an extended period of time, causing concern among the New York contingent.

Nabers eventually got up but was taken to the injury tent before exiting the field for the locker room at MetLife Stadium alongside the Giants training staff.

Here are the latest updates on the injury impacting the star pass catcher.

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What is Malik Nabers' injury?

Nabers has been diagnosed with a concussion, per Al Michaels on the Amazon Broadcast.

When Nabers was unable to catch the pass, he took a hard landing and appeared to have hit his head on the ground.

After he was taken to the injury tent, Nabers was brought to the locker room where he was tended to by the training staff. He did not return to the field for New York's final drive and was ruled out with a concussion shortly after.

While he was unable to finish the game, Nabers was reportedly spotted in the locker room interacting with teammates postgame, a positive sign for him after a scary moment.

The 21-year-old posted on his Instagram story shortly after the game, letting fans know that he's "all good," though his timeline for return remains unknown.

Giants WR Malik Nabers (concussion) says he's all good pic.twitter.com/P0qhXZ73jd

— Grant Gordon (@TCNGrantGordon) September 27, 2024

Nabers finished his primetime debut with 12 catches for 115 yards, including an impressive 39-yard reception set up by some nifty route running.

Nabers was at the Giants' facility on Friday. He has over a week before his next game to get through the concussion protocol and New York will take it "day-by-day" with him

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How long will Malik Nabers be out?

Nabers must clear the NFL's concussion protocol before he is cleared to return to play. Time missed depends on the severity of the concussion and varies per player, as they must pass a series of tests for clearance.

While most players miss the next game after being diagnosed with a concussion, Nabers' injury coming on a Thursday gives him a few extra days to recover ahead of his team's Week 5 matchup, which falls on a Sunday.

MORE: Week 4 NFL Power Rankings | Week 4 NFL picks | Week 4 NFL picks against the spread

What is the NFL concussion protocol?

The NFL concussion protocol is a series of five steps players have to take to return to playing after suffering a concussion.

The five steps are as follows:

  • Symptom limited activity
  • Aerobic exercise
  • Football-specific exercise
  • Club-based non-contact training drills
  • Full football activity/clearance

New York Giants schedule 2024

After losing to Dallas in Week 4, New York will head to Seattle to face the Seahawks on Oct. 6.

WeekDateOpponentTime (ET)TV
1Sept. 8Vikings 21, Giants 6  
2Sept. 15Commanders 21, Giants 18  
3Sept. 22Giants 21, Browns 15  
4Sept. 26Cowboys 20, Giants 15  
5Oct. 6at Seahawks4:25 p.m.Fox
6Oct. 13vs. Bengals (Sunday Night Football)8:20 p.m.NBC
7Oct. 20vs. Eagles1 p.m.Fox
8Oct. 28at Steelers (Monday Night Football)8:15 p.m.ESPN
9Nov. 3vs. Commanders1 p.m.Fox
10Nov. 10vs. Panthers (in Germany)9:30 a.m.NFL Network
11BYE
12Nov. 24vs. Buccaneers1 p.m.Fox
13Nov. 28at Cowboys (Thanksgiving)4:30 p.m.CBS
14Dec. 8vs. Saints1 p.m.Fox
15Dec. 15vs. Ravens1 p.m.CBS
16Dec. 22at Falcons1 p.m.Fox
17Dec. 28 or 29vs. ColtsTBDTBD
18Jan. 4 or 5at EaglesTBDTBD

This story will be updated.

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.