Giants wide receiver [Malik Nabers](/players/malik-nabers) cleared a key checkpoint in his return from last year's torn ACL on Monday, participating in full-speed team periods for the first time in training camp this summer.
For Nabers, it was akin to an awakening.
"Like I said, my soul's been dead for so long just being away and knowing what I could've accomplished, knowing where I was before this happened," Nabers told reporters after Monday's session. "Every tear, every talk with the family, every down day, every day that I didn't complete something, it just kept that in the back of my head to continue."
Nabers isn't completely back in action yet. He only saw a handful of reps in team periods on Monday and wore a red non-contact jersey, but the action still represented an important step forward.
"Being out there and having my teammates behind me kind of felt that soul come back to life," Nabers said.
Those hoping Nabers will hit the ground running entering the 2026 season after tearing his ACL [last September](https://www.nfl.com/news/malik-nabers-torn-acl-out-for-2025-season-giants), however, should temper their expectations. New York has taken a cautious, methodical approach in working Nabers back onto the field with the full understanding it's better to be safe than aggressive at this stage in the calendar.