EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants coach John Harbaugh will not say who is playing Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys, who is starting, what personnel package is on the field, or what play is being called.
Harbaugh drew that line Wednesday at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, on the first practice day of Week 1, in video posted by SNY.
Wide receiver Malik Nabers has not been ruled in or out for the opener. Nabers tore an ACL in Week 4 of last season and had two operations on the knee. He was on the field with teammates from the beginning of Wednesday’s practice, Big Blue View reported, and neither Nabers nor the Giants have committed to him playing. New York’s first injury report of the season was due later Wednesday.
Harbaugh said the availability can be a great press conference or it can be uncomfortable.
“I’m not going to tell you who is playing in the game. I’m not going to tell you who is starting, what package we have in, what play we’re running. I’m not going to tell you any of that,” Harbaugh said. “So we can make it great and have a great press conference, or we can make it uncomfortable. I’m not going to tell you because what you know, the Cowboys know, and every other team knows. That’s not in the competitive interest of our football team. I think you can respect that.”
Tight end Theo Johnson (shoulder) and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (stinger) practiced Wednesday without the red non-contact jerseys they had worn a week earlier, per Big Blue View. New York released wide receiver Darius Slayton on Sept. 7. Slayton was the longest-tenured player on the roster.
In Frisco, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday that Dallas has installed its defensive plan through normal down and distance and has started third down, with red zone work still ahead. Christian Parker calls his first game as a defensive coordinator Sunday, and Schottenheimer said the Giants do not know what the Cowboys are going to do on defense.
John Harbaugh’s First Regular Season Game With The New York Giants
New York hired Harbaugh on Jan. 17 on a five-year deal, 11 days after Baltimore fired him. He spent 18 seasons with the Ravens, won 193 total games, reached the playoffs 12 times, took six division titles, and won Super Bowl XLVII. He is the 21st head coach in franchise history, and he brought 15 assistants with him from Baltimore.
The Giants fired Brian Daboll on Nov. 10 after a 2-8 start, went 2-5 under interim coach Mike Kafka, and finished 4-13. New York has not won the NFC East since 2011 and has not reached the playoffs since 2022. The last meeting went to the Giants, 34-17, on Jan. 4 at MetLife Stadium, with both clubs already eliminated. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said this week that facing Harbaugh twice a year gave him a funny feeling.
Dallas placed guard Tyler Smith on reserve/injured with a designation to return on Wednesday. Schottenheimer said Monday that Smith is set to have thumb surgery, and the designation keeps him out at least the first four games. T.J. Bass starts at left guard in his place. Bass has 10 starts in 48 games across three seasons in Dallas.
Malik Nabers, Jaxson Dart, And The New York Giants Offense
Nabers caught 18 passes for 271 yards and 2 touchdowns in four games last season before the injury. He has 127 catches for 1,475 yards and 9 touchdowns in his career and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2024. Odell Beckham Jr. made the New York roster out of camp, and Matt Nagy is the offensive coordinator.
Jaxson Dart returns at quarterback after going 216-of-339 for 2,272 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions as a rookie. He ran 86 times for 487 yards and 9 touchdowns and finished fourth in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. Dallas thought New York might take Caleb Downs at No. 10 in April before the Cowboys traded up for him at No. 11.
Dak Prescott starts a season opener for Dallas for the 11th straight year. The Cowboys went 7-9-1 last season and allowed 511 points, the most in the league.
Kickoff is 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC at MetLife Stadium.
