When Andrew Thomas is on the field, he's one of the best offensive tackles in football. While that sounds great, context is key as his availability is becoming a major concern. The "when" is becoming fewer and farther between, which is the ultimate nightmare scenario for the New York Giants.
Thomas is the Giants' offensive line. He's the anchor that keeps Big Blue's quarterbacks upright. But unfortunately, his injury history is starting to cast serious doubt over whether New York's revamped QB room will have time to make plays or not.
Last season, the 26-year-old suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury in Week 6, which required surgery and put him on a long road to recovery. Recovery from Lisfranc surgery typically takes 3 to 5 months for the bones and ligaments to heal. Regaining full strength, mobility, and return-to-play readiness can take anywhere from six months to a full year, depending on the severity and rehab progress. Seeing as though he underwent surgery in October, he should be close to full strength.
Given that the Giants' O-line craters when Thomas isn't on the field, his playing status for 2025 is firmly under the microscope. And for fans looking for an update... they kinda sorta got one from the man himself during an appearance on the Giants Huddle podcast.
Andrew Thomas gives fans a whole lotta nothing regarding injury update
Thomas didn't have much to say regarding his progress. He's missed the majority of the Giants' offseason program, including all of their on-field practices. In his words:
"I'm feeling good. Just taking my time with it. Don't really have a projection right now, but doing everything that the trainers are telling me, and you know, hopefully I'm ready to go," Thomas said on the podcast. "(Week 1) is the goal, but you know, we try not to make any predictions. Just trying to get ready."
While the overall mood was one of optimism and hope, it's still not the update fans were hoping for. The Lisfranc recovery is a marathon, not a sprint, so it makes sense he's not rushing into anything or making promises he can't keep.
Still, it's a bummer.
I alluded to it earlier, New York's O-line play takes a significant hit if he's on the sideline. Pro Football Focus recently ranked every team's unit heading into 2025, and even with a healthy Thomas, the G-Men still ranked 28th. That's brutal.
Look no further than last season—once he went down, the offensive creativity and explosion became nonexistent. Sadly, this has become the norm in East Rutherford. Fortunately, there is reason to be a bit more optimistic. Joe Schoen signed veteran swing tackles Stone Forsythe and Jordan Hudson this offseason to ensure they have adequate depth in case the injury bug strikes again.
Whether he suits up Week 1 or not, Big Blue Nation’s already holding its breath. Thomas is the one thing standing between stability and another year of struggles up front. Until he’s fully healthy and back in the mix, the entire offense feels one bad break away from falling apart.