Jameis Winston is set to make his first start of the season for the Giants on Sunday, but the bigger question now may be whether he’ll have Andrew Thomas protecting his blind side.
Thomas was limited Wednesday because of a groin injury and then did not practice Thursday, according to the team’s injury report. Friday’s practice and the final injury designation should give a clearer answer, but for now his status is unsettled. A missed Thursday session does not automatically mean he’s out against Tennessee.
That uncertainty lands at the worst possible time for New York, which is already adjusting after Jaxson Dart’s season-ending knee injury. The Giants have confirmed Winston as the starter while Dart is out for the regular season, and they’d clearly prefer to keep the rest of the operation as stable as possible around him.
The issue is straightforward: Winston can drive the ball downfield, but the Giants cannot expect him to solve protection breakdowns on his own. Thomas isn’t just another body on the line; he’s the starting left tackle, and if he can’t play, the offense has to respond with quicker throws and extra help to that side.
There’s a tendency to make Winston’s turnovers the headline any time he takes over, but the more immediate concern Sunday is whether the Giants can keep him upright long enough to function. After Dart’s injury, the offense already changed. If Thomas is also limited or unavailable, the challenge gets even sharper.
New York faces Tennessee on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, and the final injury report will tell the story. The coaching staff can build a contingency plan, but it would much rather have Thomas in place for Winston’s debut as the starter this season.
If Thomas is limited, the Giants may also need to alter how they use a tight end or running back in protection, which would trim the number of players available as immediate receiving outlets. In other words, this one injury report could shape far more than the offensive line.
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