EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas underwent surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury Wednesday morning and will miss the rest of the 2024 season.
“I feel terrible for him,” Giants coach Brian Daboll told reporters on Wednesday.
Thomas, 25, is expected to be fully recovered for organized team activities next year, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The injury occurred in the third quarter of Sunday night’s 17-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium. Thomas played through it but could be seen limping badly as the game progressed.
“Not great,” he said afterward of how he felt. Thomas added that he was “fighting” through the pain.
The second-team All-Pro in 2022 underwent tests Monday that showed the severity of the injury. Additional opinions confirmed it to be serious.
Losing Thomas is a massive blow for the Giants. Their offensive line has made significant strides this season after years of struggles, and Thomas has been a stalwart at left tackle. He ranks 25th among all offensive tackles this season with a pass block win rate of 88.9% after stumbling through Sunday night’s game matched against Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson.
Thomas, who signed a five-year, $117 million contract extension last summer, is ninth among all offensive tackles with a 91.8% pass block win rate since the start of 2022.
It’s the second straight year that Thomas will miss extended time. He hurt a hamstring last season in Week 1 and missed seven games. The Giants’ offensive line struggled badly without him, and his injury while trying to chase down a blocked field goal on the opening possession of the season was looked at as a pivotal moment last year.
“You can’t replace Andrew Thomas,” Daboll said Wednesday.
Third-year tackle Joshua Ezeudu is the most likely option to replace Thomas in the lineup. He was the second-team left tackle throughout the summer.
The Giants (2-4) also have Evan Neal as a reserve tackle on the bench. But they have been resistant to moving the No. 7 pick in 2022 from right tackle. Among their options is putting Neal at right tackle and shifting veteran Jermaine Eluemunor from the right side to the left. Eluemunor has started seven career games at left tackle.
