Andrew Thomas’ right foot is in a boot, but neither foot is out the door.
Thomas — one of the Giants’ three best players and a three-time co-captain — expressed confidence Friday that better days are ahead than what have been on display during a franchise-record-tying nine-game losing streak that could be extended Sunday against the Falcons.
“You always have to feel like we’re going to turn it around,” Thomas said in his first interview since suffering a Lisfranc injury to his right foot on Oct. 13. “If you have a negative mindset, you’ll never overcome. I’m trying to be as positive as I can, having this season-ending injury, but I think we have a good collective group of some young players that can play well. It’s going to take some time, but I think we’ll get there.”
Thomas’ health is one of the biggest keys to building a sustainable foundation. The 2022 Second-Team All-Pro is signed to a $117.5 million contract through the 2029 season.
Over the past two seasons, the Giants are 6-10 when Thomas is at left tackle compared to 2-13 and when he is not.
He missed seven games last season with a hamstring injury and somehow gutted through more than 30 plays on an injured foot to finish the game against the Bengals at the start of this skid.
“It was just a normal down block, and I felt something go,” Thomas said. “I knew something was wrong.”
The Giants’ personnel shortages run deep on all sides of the ball, but Thomas carries the burden of being the roster’s most irreplaceable player.
The lack of adding a viable Plan B at left tackle by the front office and coaching staff in back-to-back years proved crippling.
“Sometimes you have the ‘should’ve, could’ve, would’ve,’ but it happened,” Thomas said. “I can’t do much to change what happened. All I can do is try to prepare for next year.”
Thomas said he was told to expect a five-month recovery start to finish, which would put him back on the field in time for OTAs.
The Giants would be silly to push the envelope, however, especially given that foot injuries notoriously can linger with 300-pounders.
“It’s frustrating,” Thomas said. “Obviously, I want to be out there and help my team. I think I’m a big part of this team, and when I’m not out there it hurts. I’ve dealt with foot surgeries before. The biggest thing is just not rushing.”
Thomas’ career has been marred by instability.
He has played under two general managers, two head coaches and five offensive line coaches, alongside a never-ending carousel of left guards and quarterbacks.
“When we were all healthy, I thought we were playing better,” Thomas said of the offensive line. “I thought that’s the best football we’ve played up front in a while, so hopefully next year we can stay healthy and continue to build that continuity.”
It might not be such a straight line.
Everyone is on the hot seat again as the Giants (2-12) stumble toward what could be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“I can’t really put my finger on one exact thing, but watching — and it’s the same as when I was playing — no one is happy to lose,” Thomas said. “We put a lot of work into it, and I think the most frustrating thing is we have pieces. We have talented players on this team that can perform at high levels. Just about consistency.”
The Giants are last in the league in scoring and 20-yard pass plays over the past two seasons.
“We have long, sustaining drives, but in this league it’s hard to do that consistently,” Thomas said. “We don’t have enough explosive plays, so I would say that’s one thing I would say that we could probably improve on. If it doesn’t equal a win, sometimes it feels like we didn’t improve at all. I would say there’s been improvements as an offense. And just dealing with what we’ve had as far as different quarterbacks playing, all the injuries, I think the guys have done the best they could.”
Thomas recently returned to team meetings after spending the first part of his rehab outside of the facility. He is getting around on a scooter and is expected out of the boot in two weeks.
“He’s diligent, he’s a pro in what he does and he’s a really good player,” head coach Brian Daboll said. “That left tackle position — particularly when you have a player that plays at a high level — is always challenging when that guy’s out, schematically, on what you need to do. So, we’ve missed him. If there’s anyone that can come back from it good … he does everything right.”