The New York Giants have been without starting left tackle Andrew Thomas for the past three weeks. Thomas suffered a hamstring injury in Week 1 that has lingered and held him out of the team’s last three games.
The team was initially hopeful that they would get their elite tackle back in the lineup in Week 5, but head coach Brian Daboll gave a disappointing update on Wednesday.
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When asked whether Thomas will return in Week 5, Coach Daboll said he is “Leaning towards no,” per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. Thomas is not practicing today as he continues to be bothered by his hamstring injury.
Thomas returned to practice last week before suffering a setback that caused him to miss more practice time and ultimately be held out of the team’s Week 4 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
As Big Blue prepares for a difficult matchup with the Miami Dolphins this weekend, they will need to continue relying on backup offensive linemen to fill in for their injured starters. In addition to Thomas, the Giants are also practicing without two other offensive linemen: starting center John Michael Schmitz (shoulder) and backup interior lineman Shane Lemieux (groin).
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The Giants need Thomas back in the lineup
The offensive line is undoubtedly the Giants’ weakest link this season. In Week 4, QB Daniel Jones was sacked 10 times and has been under pressure on 46.5% of his dropbacks this season, per Pro Football Focus.
The Giants allowed a league-high 36 pressures in Week 4. Thomas’ absence from the lineup has been felt intensely throughout the past few weeks. Second-year OL Joshua Ezeudu has been filling in at left tackle but has been struggling to pull his weight.
Ezeudu surrendered three sacks in Week 4 and has surrendered nine pressures and four sacks in the past three games. Getting Thomas back in the lineup, a second-team All-Pro in 2022, might be the only solution to Big Blue’s pass-blocking woes.