When New York Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas’ name comes up these days in conversations, two points are quickly made.
The first is the fact that he is among the elite left tackles in the game. The second point, the one where they say Thomas can’t stay healthy, stings Giants fans.
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Both statements are true. In a recent analysis from Pro Football Focus, Thomas was listed as a top-5 pass protector.
Thomas played in 13 games (all starts) for the Giants at left tackle. Per PFF, he was the fourth-highest graded offensive tackle in the NFL this season.
The Giants’ 2020 first-round pick had 13 pressures allowed, which were the second-fewest in the NFL among tackles who played at least 50 percent of blocking snaps.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that Thomas has not played a full season since 2022.
In 2023, he missed seven games due to a hamstring issue. The next year, a Lisfranc injury cut his season off after six games. Offseason surgery in April to correct the matter kept him out of games until Week 3 of last season. He missed two other games later in the year with a hamstring, but it was not the same one that irked him in 2023.
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The Giants are hopeful that they can get a full season out of Thomas in 2026.
In 2023, he signed a five-year, $117.5 million extension that would make him a Giant through the 2029 season, so both he and the team are planning on him being here for a while. He just needs to stay healthy, that’s all.
Should Thomas continue to be dogged by injuries, the Giants have an out in his contract after this season, as all of his guaranteed money will have been paid out.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants’ Andrew Thomas named one of PFF’s elite pass protectors