New York Giants star left tackle Andrew Thomas’ 2024 season was cut short due to a Lisfranc injury. Thomas suffered the injury early on and tried to play through it until he was officially ruled out for the season in Week 7. He underwent surgery in October and has since been sidelined through OTAs and minicamp rehabbing. The goal, or perhaps the assumption for Giants fans, is that he would push for a return to training camp. However, Thomas wouldn’t even commit to returning to play Week 1.
Thomas is Crucial for the Giants’ Success
When healthy, Thomas is one of the best left tackles in the NFL. The former Georgia standout has been the anchor for the offensive line over the last three seasons. When he was in the lineup in 2024, the team’s line was adequate in the passing game. They only surrendered 2.3 sacks per game with him in the lineup and over three sacks per game without him. Furthermore, the team’s PFF pass blocking grade dropped from 18th with him to 29th without him after his injury. The pressure rate increased, too. According to PFF, 122 total pressures post-Thomas, which was the fourth most in the NFL from Weeks 7-18.
With the former All-Pro in the lineup to mask inefficiencies, the overall offensive line is average by most standards. However, when Thomas misses games, the offense’s deficiencies spiral out of control. The result is that the team has virtually no chance of moving the ball consistently, let alone scoring a point. The offense isn’t a juggernaut with him by any standards, but the unit’s points per game dropped by four without him in 2023 and by 0.8 in 2024. Without the outlying 45-point outburst against the Colts, the Giants’ points per game without Thomas dropped by 1.7. The argument can be made that Thomas is the most important non-quarterback on the roster.
Thomas’ Injury History
All of the splits with and without Thomas point out that the team is better when he’s healthy. Over the last two seasons, the Giants are 3-15 in games where Andrew Thomas doesn’t play. While they’ve been just 6-10 with him in the lineup, their offensive anchor must be healthy in 2025. If Thomas misses significant time for the third straight season, the team might not have a choice but to plan for the future. Their offensive success cannot be equated to the health of a single offensive line, regardless of the importance of the position, which has such an extensive injury history. There’s no doubting his ability when he’s on the field, but the best ability is availability in the NFL.
To combat this, General Manager Joe Schoen attempted to add some depth this offseason. He signed swing-tackle James Hudson. In the event Thomas isn’t available at the start of the season, expect Hudson to slide in at right tackle and incumbent starter Jermaine Eluemunor to kick to the left side. Fortunately, Elumenor is a quality starter in the NFL and can hold his own against most NFL edge rushers. Still, the team would prefer to have a suitable starting duo with him and Thomas rather than throwing journeyman Hudson into the starting lineup.
Offensive Line Depth
In addition to signing Hudson, the Giants drafted Marcus Mbow in the fifth round of the draft. Expectations shouldn’t be too high for any fifth-round selection in their rookie year. However, most analysts had Mbow projected to be taken somewhere in the mid to late third round. By all accounts, the selection was lauded for good value. That being said, fans should wonder why Mbow slid so far in the draft. He’s a limited player who struggles with strength and will need time to adjust to the NFL. He may not even be a tackle at this level, but the team is expected to try him at all positions this summer. With any luck, the Giants could have a solid developmental tackle slated for a 2026 or 2027 starting role. However, Mbow won’t be an immediate fix if Thomas doesn’t return to the lineup in the early part of 2025.
Lisfranc Recovery
The general timeline for a Lisfranc recovery ranges from six months to a year. If Thomas underwent surgery in October, that would mean his window for a full recovery would be from April to September. In other words, he’s in the middle of the window for when he should be back on the field. Likely, he doesn’t want to overcommit to week one before seeing how his body responds to training camp. For the sake of the Giants’ success, fans hope he’s ready and back to his All-Pro form sooner rather than later. If Thomas returns to form, the offense has a chance of improving.
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