The New York Giants have been dealing with a slew of crucial injuries all season long. Star LT Andrew Thomas was sidelined from Week 2 through Week 9 with a hamstring injury suffered in the first game of the season.
Shortly after returning to the lineup, Thomas suffered another injury to his lower body. According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, Thomas playing through a sprained MCL in his left knee suffered last week against the Commanders.
Andrew Thomas playing through a knee injury
Thomas got rolled up on during Big Blue’s Week 11 win over the Washington Commanders. He left the game briefly with a knee injury before returning to the lineup and finishing out the game.
Despite playing through the injury, Thomas finished the game as New York’s highest-graded offensive lineman per Pro Football Focus, earning a 71.1 overall grade with only two pressures and zero sacks surrendered.
A sprained MCL can be a significant injury with varying time-frames for recovery. However, an injury to the MCL is usually significant enough to leave a player sidelined for several weeks.
It remains to be seen whether or not Thomas will practice this week in preparation for the team’s Week 12 matchup with the New England Patriots, but considering the severity of the injury and the status of the Giants’ season, the team may want to consider shutting him down for the year.
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Should the Giants shut Thomas down for the season?
This offseason, the Giants made Thomas one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the NFL with a five-year, $117 million contract extension. This rather large investment makes Thomas one of the team’s most valuable players.
A second-team All-Pro last season, Thomas is crucial to the success of Big Blue’s offense. The team finds little success without their starting left tackle on the field. But considering the Giants are 3-8 with little hope of winning many remaining games on their schedule, they may want to consider preserving their investment and shutting Thomas down for the year.
Having Thomas play through an MCL injury could be a massive risk. If Thomas aggravates and worsens the injury, it could be something that bothers him deep into the offseason and potentially into the 2024 regular season. The Giants should consider placing Thomas on season-ending injured reserve to preserve his health and ensure that this knee injury doesn’t worsen.
