Malik Nabers was so excited to have an increased workload Thursday that he inadvertently busted open his receiver coach’s lip.
Chad Hall was simulating the defensive back lined up against Nabers in a drill to practice releases off the line of scrimmage, they both turned their heads in the same direction and Nabers’ helmet collided with Hall, who was administered stitches right on the field during practice.
“We’re putting him in different positions — just trying to get him more comfortable,” Hall said. “But he looks great. He’s more confident. He was just as excited as the whole team was to see him out there making some plays, getting pushed on a little bit.”
Nabers, who underwent multiple surgeries after suffering a torn ACL and slightly torn meniscus in Week 4 of last season, wore a red non-contact jersey Thursday for the first time during training camp.
He continued to be part of individual drills — all but one of the 14 practices — plus offensive installation periods and routes on air, but the slight addition was that he took part in a three-quarter speed 11-on-11 situation where he caught a pass on each of his first four snaps.
“He’s been itching, itching, itching, working his ass off for six, nine months — just trying to get back to this point where he can get on the field,” Hall said. “You saw his first catch. People were hooting and hollering just to see him out there making some cuts, even catching and making some moves.
In one of the previous remote practices in West Virginia, Nabers participated in a similar period at a slower speed. He was bumped to the ground by safety Tyler Nubin, which sounded like the impetus for adding the red jersey (usually reserved for quarterbacks).
“This was hearing a play call, getting lined up, doesn’t know what’s going on (defensively), reacting,” Hall said. “He wasn’t untouched. In West Virginia, that was like a glorified walkthrough. This was a lot more intense.”
Head coach John Harbaugh called Thursday a “timing practice” with “no physicality” allowed. Tell that to Hall, who had dried blood on his lip and his teeth — a small price to pay for the big rewards that Nabers could offer the Giants as he tracks toward playing Week 1 against the Cowboys.
“The players were excited when we talked about it in the meeting this morning,” Harbaugh said of Nabers’ participation. “It’s a big step. It was a milestone.”
