Andrew Thomas' Season Is Over

New York Giants fans never stray too far from the panic button. It’s in their pocket. It’s on a keychain. They’ve turned it into an app and carry it with them wherever they go.

Folks, it’s time to press the button.

On Wednesday morning, it was confirmed that star left tackle Andrew Thomas had surgery on his Lisfranc injury, per Ian Rapoport .

His season is over.

There’s no two ways around it. This is a crushing blow to an offensive line that was playing at its highest level in years . General manager Joe Schoen’s free agent acquisitions have loomed large, providing stability at left guard, right guard, and right tackle. The unit had successfully compensated for right tackle Evan Neal’s slowed recovery and is getting more out of second-year center John Michael Schmitz.

Now, the line’s depth will be put to the test. Given quarterback Daniel Jones’ lack of success without Thomas protecting his blindside. He went 1-3 without Thomas last season – New York went 2-5 before he played through injury in the second half of the season.

New York is better prepared for Thomas’ absence this year than last. Jermaine Eluemunor has been solid on the right side and may be asked to slide over to the blindside. That would give offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo an opportunity to show how he’s helped Neal grow – although technical development often isn’t a tangible in-season development.

Instead, it will likely be left tackle Joshua Ezeudu stepping up in Thomas’ place. The third-round pick has some goodwill left to burn but has struggled mightily at tackle this summer.

Related: Mailata Injury Opens Door for Giants Pass Rushers

If nothing else, the upgrades across the offensive line mean the Giants have one gaping hole to address rather than last year’s catastrophic collapse.

But their work is cut out for them, and history hasn’t served them well. If New York doesn’t come out punching against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, the fans leaving MetLife Stadium early wouldn’t be mistaken to focus on pumpkin patches the rest of the way.

Thomas’ injury destined the Giants to irrelevance in 2023. A year later, staving off that same fate has become a necessity.