EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants elevated wide receiver Braxton Berrios from the practice squad and signed wide receiver Dalen Cambre to the 53-man roster on Sept. 12, one day before the season opener against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported both transactions at 3:35 p.m. CT, roughly a half hour after the league’s deadline for practice squad elevations.
Cambre filled the roster spot New York opened on Sept. 7, when the club released wide receiver Darius Slayton. The Giants had carried five wide receivers on the initial 53-man roster they set Aug. 30.
Wide receiver Malik Nabers is questionable with a knee injury. He was the only Giant given a game designation on the final injury report of the week, which the team released Sept. 11.
Giants coach John Harbaugh spoke on Sept. 9, after Nabers practiced fully and took contact in pads.
“I think he’s ready to go,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see, though. It’s still four days until we play. So, if he’s ready to go and he feels like he’s ready to go, then he’ll play. If he’s not … then he won’t play.”
Nabers spoke to reporters on Sept. 10 following practice.
“I put in the work, and I did everything that I can to be in this position right now and be able to make the decision to play or to not play,” Nabers said. “If I am out there, I put in a great amount of work to know that I’m able to play and I’m able to do exactly what I know I can do and will do.”
Harbaugh met with reporters again on Sept. 11, hours after Nabers practiced fully for a third consecutive day.
“He practiced, it was kind of a slower practice today, so it was a kind of a mental practice today, so I couldn’t really, wouldn’t be fair to say he looked good or bad or whatever in that kind of a practice, but he was good,” Harbaugh said. “I would just say about the injuries, especially today, refer all the injury questions to the injury report, they’ll answer your questions, that’s as far as we ever really go on a Friday.”
Braxton Berrios Handles Punt Returns Against Dallas
Dan Duggan of The Athletic reported on Sept. 11 that Berrios will serve as the punt returner against Dallas and return kickoffs alongside cornerback Deonte Banks. Duggan reported the elevation is a special teams decision and is not tied to Nabers’ status. A second receiver elevation, Duggan added, would carry a different meaning.
Berrios signed with New York on June 1. The Giants released him on Aug. 30 during final cuts and brought him back to the practice squad the following day.
The New England Patriots drafted Berrios in the sixth round in 2018, 210th overall out of Miami. In 91 regular-season games he has caught 140 passes for 1,360 yards and 6 touchdowns. He was a first-team All-Pro returner in 2021, and his 3,395 career return yards include one touchdown. Over his career he has averaged 11.2 yards per punt return and 24.9 yards per kickoff return.
Berrios played four games last season. He caught 6 passes for 37 yards and added 81 kickoff-return yards and 25 punt-return yards.
Cambre signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent out of Louisiana on May 9, 2025. He landed on the practice squad that Sept. 15. New York elevated him for three games last season, on Nov. 15, Nov. 22, and Dec. 1, and signed him to the active roster on Dec. 13. He has yet to record an NFL reception.
At Louisiana, Cambre caught 10 passes for 123 yards and 1 touchdown. He also recorded 17 tackles, blocked two punts, and returned a fumble for a touchdown. He held on placekicks for the Ragin’ Cajuns.
The Giants opened the week with Nabers, Odell Beckham Jr., Darnell Mooney, and rookie Malachi Fields as their active-roster wide receivers. Beckham, who made the initial 53 in his return to New York, will wear No. 13 again.
New York drafted Nabers with the sixth overall pick in 2024 out of LSU. He played 4 games last season before the Giants placed him on injured reserve on Sept. 29, 2025, catching 18 passes for 271 yards over that stretch. Across 19 career games he has 127 receptions for 1,475 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Dallas Cowboys Finish Their Roster Before Kickoff
Dallas made its own move on Sept. 12, [placing running back Malik Davis on injured reserve](https://dallassportsjournal.com/cowboys-malik-davis-injured-reserve-israel-abanikanda/) and signing running back Israel Abanikanda to the active roster from the practice squad. Davis was carted off the practice field at The Star on Sept. 11 with a hip injury and was ruled out later that afternoon.
The Cowboys will also play without left guard Tyler Smith. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters on Sept. 7 that Smith was set to have thumb surgery, sidelining the three-time Pro Bowler for at least the first four weeks.
“It’s something that’s he’s been dealing with,” Schottenheimer said of the injury. “It’s just felt like he couldn’t do at a high level. It’s a long season. It’s unfortunate but that’s why we coveted T.J. Bass.”
Kickoff at MetLife Stadium is set for 7:20 p.m. CT on Sept. 13. NBC and Peacock carry the broadcast.
