Andrew Thomas is back in position to do what the Giants have been waiting years to see: stay on the field.
Barring a last-second disaster, the veteran left tackle is set to line up with New York’s starting offense Sunday night against the Cowboys. On paper, that sounds routine. Thomas is 27, under contract through 2029, and when he’s healthy he has been a steady blindside protector during the Giants’ latest rebuild.
But nothing about Thomas has felt routine for Giants fans lately.
He’s become the guy whose availability always seems to be in question. Since the NFL switched to 17-game seasons in 2021, Thomas has never played a full year.
Over the last three seasons, he missed 22 of 51 games. That kind of absence has shaped the conversation around him, turning an accomplished tackle into a player many associate first with the injury report.
This season gives him a clean shot to flip that script.
Thomas has been healthy, and there were no reports of him being limited in offseason workouts or training camp. New York is also expecting all five starting offensive linemen to go against Dallas, with center John Michael Schmitz having avoided setbacks after a recent concussion.
The timing matters because Thomas is easy to overlook when he’s not on the field, even though he remains one of the team’s top-paid players. Only Brian Burns, at $28.2 million, has a higher average salary than Thomas’ $23.5 million. Paulson Adebo is the only other Giant averaging at least $16 million, at $18 million.
There’s another piece to this too: winning changes the way injuries and flaws get remembered. Giants fans know that better than anyone.
Plaxico Burress’ go-ahead touchdown in Super Bowl XLII tends to come up long before his self-inflicted gunshot wound. Lawrence Tynes, depending on who you ask, may be the most important kicker in franchise history even though he made 83.6% of his field goals; the NFL average in 2025 was 85.6 percent.
Thomas’ situation is a little different, but the same idea applies. Darius Slayton’s release has made him the Giants’ longest-tenured player and the final remaining player from the Dave Gettleman era. He’s also only been part of one winning season, and this roster does not look like a serious NFC East contender.
Still, if Thomas stays healthy and plays at a high level, that will matter. A lot. It would reshape how he’s viewed in New York and make him one of the team’s most important players, especially with the goal of keeping Jaxson Dart as far away from the blue medical tent as possible.
The Giants haven’t had an offensive lineman make the Pro Bowl since Chris Snee in 2012. Thomas, who was a second-team All-Pro in 2022, has a chance to end that drought and change the story that has followed him for too long.
In Other News...
Giants New Pecking Order Is Already Turning Into A Real Camp Story
A fresh training camp approach has already started to show up on the Giants roster, with John Harbaugh and his staff giving opportunities to both familiar faces and players with no prior connection to him. The result is a group being judged less by old ties and more by how they fit what the coaches want, which is exactly the kind of reset that can change the tone of camp before the first full pads practice even settles in.
That shift has kept several key names in the mix, including Kayvon Thibodeaux and Deonte Banks, while also bringing in a few notable changes around the edges of the roster. Veteran lineman Daniel Faalele was dealt away, Najee Harris joined the backfield picture, and the bigger question now is how much this new pecking order will keep evolving once the competition really starts to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Week 1 Depth Chart Just Raised Big Questions Before Cowboys
The Giants unofficial Week 1 depth chart offered an early look at how Brian Dabolls staff plans to line up against the Cowboys, and it came with a few notable wrinkles. Deonte Banks is now listed as a starting cornerback next to Greg Newsome II after moving up the chart, while Chauncey Golston is shown as the starting defensive end with Darius Alexander behind him. Cam Skattebo also appears as the starting running back, with several others stacked behind him, giving the backfield a layered look heading into the opener.
One of the more interesting details is what the Giants left off the chart altogether: there is no primary slot receiver listed, a sign they may rotate multiple players through that role. Depth charts this early can still shift before kickoff, but they can also hint at how a coaching staff sees its personnel after camp and the preseason. For a Giants team trying to settle key spots before facing Dallas, the chart raised as many questions as it answered. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Just Answered A Growing Concern On Their Defensive Line
The Giants added some needed experience up front by signing veteran defensive tackle Dean Lowry, a 32-year-old who has spent time with both the Packers and Steelers. He is expected to begin on the practice squad, but the move gives New York another seasoned body in a defensive line group that has been looking for more reliable depth and a steadier presence around the younger tackles.
Lowrys appeal is as much about what he can bring off the field as what he can do on it. The Giants view him as a versatile piece who can help against the run and offer the kind of leadership that can speed up the development of younger players, and in a room that has been under scrutiny, that sort of addition can matter as the season wears on. [Read more 🡒]