The New York Giants returned to practice on Sunday for the first time since their preseason opener against the Detroit Lions and saw the return of offensive lineman Evan Neal. However, first-round draft pick Malik Nabers left practice late with a possible minor sprain to his left ankle.
It was unclear how Nabers was injured, but the No. 6 pick in the draft was examined by trainers on the sideline. He removed his shoe and sock and later sat on a chest to watch the rest of the practice. Nabers limped off the field after the session, and the Giants announced his ankle issue about an hour later.
Nabers has been a standout during training camp, catching long passes from Daniel Jones and turning short ones into big gains. He was not available to the media after practice.
Coach Brian Daboll mentioned before practice that he expects Jones to play on Saturday when the Giants (1-0) face the Texans (1-0) in Houston for their second preseason game.
Daboll said that Jones would only play if everything went well in practice, as this would be his first game action since tearing his ACL against Las Vegas on November 5. He had surgery around Thanksgiving.
Neal, the No. 7 pick in 2022, had been on the physically unable-to-perform list since training camp started. He missed the end of last season due to what was initially thought to be a severe sprain of his left ankle, but was later diagnosed as a fracture, requiring surgery in January.
His recovery has taken longer than expected, and he started camp more than two weeks late. His starting position is uncertain.
Veteran free agent Jermaine Eluemunor has taken over at right tackle, while free agents Jon Runyan Jr. and Greg Van Roten have secured the guard positions. Center John Michael Schmitz returned on Sunday after missing two weeks with a shoulder injury.
“Whatever role that the team has for me, I’m going to embrace it,” Neal said, who did individual drills on Sunday. “So whether I start or not start, I’m here to contribute to the team. I’m going to do everything in my power to do so.”
This is the first time Neal has been injured in his career, and he understands that coming back will be challenging as he enters his third NFL season.
“It’s a big year for me. I’m not going to sit here and act like it’s not, but at the end of the day, the past two years, they weren’t perfect by any means, but I feel like they were solid,” Neal said.
“They definitely weren’t what I wanted them to be, but a lot of things that happened were just out of my control, just like the future, it’s out of my control. I can only control the present.”
