Predicting When Malik Nabers, More Injured NFL Stars Will Make 2026 NFL Debut

The start of the 2026 NFL season is only a few short weeks away, but there won't be a full compliment of stars available when teams take the field in Week 1. Several of the league's top names are still working their way back from injuries picked up both last year and during the offseason.

While some of these marquee players have begun practicing in recent weeks, others have yet to be cleared and could be sidelined for an extensive stretch. Most teams have been understandably vague when discussing timelines for potential returns, leaving fans to sift through clues and guess when these headliners will return.

With that in mind, let's highlight some of the NFL's biggest stars who still don't have a concrete timetable to return from a significant injury and predict when they will make their 2026 debut.

TE George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

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George Kittle remains an integral piece of the San Francisco 49ers' offensive plans, but the team has been preparing to go without their veteran tight end and leader for a stretch due to the torn Achilles he suffered back in January. That absence isn't likely to linger beyond the first month of the 2026 NFL season, however, as Kittle has been activated off the PUP list and is trending towards a September return.

The 49ers announced the move on Sunday, with Kittle sitting out team drills but still suiting up in full pads and easing into things with individual work. Had the nine-year veteran remained on the PUP list through cutdown day on August 30, he would have needed to miss the first four games at a minimum.  

Kittle has long maintained that he wanted to be ready for San Francisco's much-anticipated opener against the rival Los Angeles Rams, set to take place in Melbourne, Australia on September 11. He's kept that as his desired return date, but recently admitted missing one game during the grind of a long season won't be too devastating.

"I want to play in every football game that I possibly can play in but I'm also aware it's an 18-week season," Kittle said earlier this month (via ESPN's Nick Wagoner). "If you miss Week 1 and you're playing Week 2, hey, it is what it is. I'm just going to keep that as my goal and then we'll adjust from there if we need to."

Even if he's medically cleared, given the unconventional preparations and lengthy travel involved with San Francisco's opening contest—the team plans to arrive in Australia over a week before kickoff to help players and staff acclimate to a 17-hour time difference—it would make sense for Kittle to delay his return slightly.

The team will settle back into a conventional routine after returning stateside, benefitting from a three-game homestand that begins with a Week 2 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. If he ends up sitting out Week 1, expect Kittle to make his 2026 debut during this contest.

Projected 2026 Debut: Week 2 vs. Miami Dolphins

RB Jeremiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals

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The Arizona Cardinals went all-in on overhauling a lackluster and injury-prone running back platoon by selecting Jeremiyah Love at No. 3 overall in the 2026 NFL draft. While Love is still expected to be the focal point of the rebuilding program's offense, his chances of jumping out to a fast start took a major hit when he suffered a high-ankle sprain during his first preseason outing.

Love's injury ended what was a promising 11-carry, 58-yard debut on a sour note. Shortly after the contest ended, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that that the Notre Dame product was likely going to be held out the remainder of the preseason with the hopes of getting healthy in time for the regular season opener on September 13.

It seems that the Cardinals are sticking to the plan Schefter initially reported. Arizona Sports' Tyler Drake provided an update on Love, stating he's making "steady progress" in his recovery but will remain out of practice this week. The Cardinals are slated to take on the Green Bay Packers in the preseason finale on Friday, which follows a joint practice session on Wednesday.

With head coach Mike LaFleur confirming that Love won't be suiting up for any activity this week, it's fair to wonder whether the rising star will actually be ready by Week 1.

The Cardinals would be wise to take an extremely cautious approach with a player set to be a building block for years to come, especially with the amount of depth they've accumulated in the backfield. With incumbent James Conner and free-agent pickup Tyler Allgeier in the mix, Arizona doesn't need to rush the rookie into action if he's not fully healthy.

Given the strength of this platoon coupled with the four-week timetable for recovery from this type of injury, it isn't worth pushing Love into the lineup for Week 1 if he's not 100 percent. Missing an entire week of practice won't help the rookie's case either, so it's more reasonable to expect him to make his NFL debut when the defending champion Seattle Seahawks come to town in Week 2.

Projected 2026 Debut: Week 2 vs. Seattle Seahawks

WR Malik Nabers, New York Giants

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Malik Nabers' absence for much of the offseason has been one of the more enigmatic stories swirling around head coach John Harbaugh's inaugural season with the New York Giants.

The superstar wideout went down with a severe knee injury in late-September of last year and underwent surgery for the issue approximately one month later. Nabers also had another procedure done earlier this year to clear out scar tissue and address stiffness issues. He only recently returned to practice, initially wearing a no-contact red jersey before shedding it and going on to participate in several 11-on-11 drills earlier this week.

While that training camp activity seems to indicate that Nabers will be ready to go when the G-Men open their 2026 NFL season against the Dallas Cowboys on September 13, Harbaugh only hinted it would be "reasonable to assume" the receiver will be active.

"The only thing I know more than you guys know is what the doctors and trainers tell me as far as his rehab," Harbaugh said Monday, ". And that is he's doing well. He's doing well with that. He's strong, in a good place. How he gets through practice, how ready he is to play and protect himself is really based on practice."

Nabers made one impressive grab during Monday's practice session but also had a drop and was whistled for a false start. While those moments aren't ideal, it's tough to envision the 2024 Pro Bowler failing to make a positive impact upon his much-anticipated return. New York's receiving corps has a good mix of solid veterans and promising young pieces, but none have the ceiling a healthy Nabers provides.

If he's medically cleared and able, Nabers will suit up and play against the Cowboys. He's far too important to Big Blue's 2026 chances to miss any time he's healthy enough to see.

Projected 2026 Debut: Week 1 vs. Dallas Cowboys

WR Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts

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One of the Indianapolis Colts' biggest offseason moves was to issue a massive contract extension to burgeoning wideout Alec Pierce. While the team paid Pierce on the heels of his best season yet—a 47-catch, 1,003-yard, six-touchdown effort—there are expectations for an expanded role attached to the four-year, $114 million deal.

Considering Pierce has yet to suit up for a training camp practice, the chances of the four-year veteran quickly adapting to this larger role look bleaker than ever. The wideout has been plagued by a lingering ankle injury since late in the 2024 season, attempting to treat the issue with a platelet-rich plasma injection early in the offseason before opting for surgery.

Back in June, Pierce spoke about how the ankle progressed last year and seemed happy to finally have it addressed.

"It definitely got a little bit worse as the (2025) season went," Pierce said. "Probably the last month I'd say I was kind of struggling – (it) affected practice, I'd taken some days off. I'm glad they figured out what the issue was and we were able to fix it."

Pierce's recovery has been slow, as he underwent the procedure in the spring and has since missed all of OTAs and training camp. The Colts initially expected him back in early-August, as Rotowire's Ian Hartitz pointed out that it's now been a month since the club projected a one-to-two week timeline for his return.

According to The Athletic's James Boyd, head coach Shane Steichen confirmed that Pierce wouldn't be back in action on Tuesday, but is still hopeful the wideout can suit up at some point during the coming week.

With little in the way of proven weapons outside of Josh Downs and aging free-agent pickup Keenan Allen to lean on during Pierce's absence, the Colts need Pierce to get back on the field and pick up his new role as soon as possible. Even if Pierce doesn't get many practice reps under his belt, expect Steichen—likely coaching for his job in 2026—to thrust the wideout into action and have him learn on the fly.

 Projected 2026 Debut: Week 1 vs. Baltimore Ravens

WR Jordyn Tyson, New Orleans Saints

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The New Orleans Saints' Jordyn Tyson is set to miss extensive time after going down with a hamstring issue during a joint practice session against the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this month.

Tyson is one of the more promising pass-catchers to enter the league in years, but his selection at No. 8 overall raised eyebrows due to health-related red flags surrounding the prospect. The Arizona State product missed a myriad of games at the previous level, including 11 contests stemming from an ACL tear and three games last season with a hamstring strain.

While Tyson is undeniably tough—notably gritting through multiple hamstring issues to lead Arizona State with 10 catches, 105 yards and a score in a win over Texas Tech last October—he's set to miss approximately half of his rookie season while recovering from his latest injury.

Per ESPN's Katherine Terell, the hamstring injury that Tyson suffered while landing awkwardly after a catch is different in nature to the one that plagued him during his final collegiate season. Head coach Kellen Moore revealed that the previous injury also didn't play a role in causing or worsening the current one.

Prior to the injury, Tyson had been a near-full participant in practices—only avoiding one-on-one drills against defensive backs in an effort to preserve his health and get him up to full strength for his rookie campaign.

With Tyson on the shelf until approximately mid-October at a minimum, a Week 5 return at home against the Minnesota Vikings would be the earliest reasonably expect him back. New Orleans' scheduling isn't too favorable for this target date, however, as the team visits the New York Giants in Week 6 and travels all the way to Paris to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7 before a Week 8 bye.

Rather than rush Tyson back, have him travel to Europe and chance yet another injury to a player with incredible upside, it would behoove the Saints to keep their prized rookie on ice until a Week 9 bout against the Cleveland Browns at the Superdome.

Projected 2026 Debut: Week 9 vs. Cleveland Browns