John Harbaugh tackled Giants WR Malik Nabers to get him to play vs. Cowboys

Some plays don’t show up in the box score.

Yet if it wasn’t for a tackle from John Harbaugh, Malik Nabers’ name might not be in the box score at all. The New York Giants star receiver had been on the fence about playing all week long, hesitant to step onto the MetLife Stadium field – the same field where he suffered a torn ACL last season.

Nabers figures to be a key piece to the Giants’ offense, but he needed some reassurance before giving it a go on “Sunday Night Football” against the rival Dallas Cowboys in Week 1. And that reassurance came in the form of a tackle from his new head coach during walkthroughs, quarterback Jaxson Dart shared after the game.

“Things were just up-in-the-air, we didn’t know exactly what was gonna happen,” Dart said, “Me and Coach Harbs kinda had some conversations and he’s like, ‘You know what? I think that once he gets hit for the first time and realizes that he’s OK, he’s gonna feel confident.'”

Dart said that in Harbaugh’s mind, that meant the coach had to tackle his star receiver.

“All of a sudden, [Nabers] goes down on the ground, and our team is super protective of him,” Dart said. “So we all turned to look and it’s Coach Harbs tackling [him]. He pops up, he goes, ‘See? You’re all good.'”

NFL Week 1 is underway as teams across the league open the 2026 season.

Above, Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears celebrates after their 59-37 win against the Carolina Panthers of the game at Bank of America Stadium on September 13, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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NFL Week 1 is underway as teams across the league open the 2026 season.

Above, Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears celebrates after their 59-37 win against the Carolina Panthers of the game at Bank of America Stadium on September 13, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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That might’ve been all Nabers needed.

The receiver suited up and played a big role in the Giants’ Week 1 victory, recording six catches for 69 yards. Dart targeted the explosive wideout nine times in what was his first full game with the third-year player. Nabers suffered the torn ACL during Dart’s debut in 2025, ending any chance of the pair developing an on-field connection in the quarterback’s rookie season.

Harbaugh’s move didn’t come without risk, of course.

He could’ve injured Nabers once again, especially since the tackle came without warning. Perhaps that would’ve been the outcome for a different Giants coach in a previous season.

The important thing is that it wasn’t the outcome in Week 1.

Just don’t look for the tackle in the box score.