Giants left sort out Andrew Thomas (foot, questionable) is “going to make a gametime decision” on whether or not he’ll make his season debut Sunday evening in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
“I’m feeling good. Three days in a row practicing, first time doing that,” Thomas mentioned Friday. “Starting to build a volume, getting my confidence back. So it’s exciting for sure.”
Thomas is not any assure to play, although. Even when he does, there’s a “possibility” he may discover himself in a rotation with rookie Marcus Mbow.
Thomas has taken this rehabilitation timeline into his personal palms. As he mentioned Friday, “the focus is longevity, being out there consecutive weeks and for the rest of the season.”
“It’s a conversation,” Thomas mentioned. “We shuttle. I believe we’re all on the identical web page, and communication is the most important factor.
“I’ve been doing a good job of making sure that they understand where I’m coming from,” he added. “They’re doing the same thing, and we’re meeting in the middle to find the best thing for me and the team.”
So whereas he needs to assist the determined Giants (0-2) get their first win over the Chiefs (0-2), Thomas will not be going to let the group’s dire state of affairs power his choice.
“If I’m speaking as a competitor, I wanted to be out there Week 1,” Thomas mentioned. “But the best thing for the team and myself is for me to be 100% out there. I think I can help the team out when I’m at my best. So I’m trying to get back to that.”
The lingering uncertainty round Thomas’ standing, even after a full week’s value of observe, appears to be signal that placing him on the sphere in Week 3 nonetheless may be too quickly.
The Giants have rushed Thomas again to the sphere earlier than and discovered their lesson the laborious manner.
He performed in solely 10 video games in 2023 on account of an early season hamstring damage that he aggravated by returning to observe too early. And that was on prime of left ankle points that required two surgical procedures early in his profession earlier than medical doctors fully cleaned up his points on that foot.
Plus, Thomas admitted that the following step in his rehabilitation is discovering out how his physique will reply “the next week.”
He doesn’t know the way his proper foot, which was surgically repaired for a Lisfranc tear final October, will even reply to 3 consecutive practices not to mention recreation motion on Sunday evening on prime of that.
“The biggest thing as far as rep counts or if I’m playing or not is how I respond the next week,” he mentioned. “That’s what we’re trying to base it [on]. It’s hard to tell, but we’ll see. I’ve been three days consecutive doing more, so that’s a good sign.”
The opposite half that creates some trepidation is that the Giants didn’t maintain a padded observe this week.
Final Sunday’s time beyond regulation recreation taxed the Giants’ gamers sufficient that Brian Daboll determined to not put his group in pads in any respect. So Thomas didn’t get the padded work he would have most popular, though he mentioned that gained’t cease him from enjoying if his foot is prepared.
“You want all the padded reps you can get, and missing training camp is tough, but I get the reality: the guys had a lot of snaps,” he mentioned. “So I’m not frustrated at that. I’m confident in my ability. And if I feel good health wise, I think I can do my job.”
Thomas has performed in 16 of a attainable 36 video games the previous three seasons since signing a five-year, $117.5 million contract extension with the group in July 2023. The Giants have a 6-10 (.375) document with him and a 3-17 (.150) mark with out him throughout that span.
In order that they want him badly in opposition to Steve Spagnuolo’s Chiefs protection as a result of they wrestle to win with out him.
In addition they want Thomas again, although, as a result of backup James Hudson’s opening drive meltdown in Dallas has rendered them paper skinny on the depth chart at sort out.
Joe Schoen signed Hudson to a two-year, $12 million contract with $6 million assured to be the Giants’ new swing sort out — a place the GM had ignored or misjudged to the whole group’s detriment in earlier years.
Hudson practiced because the first-string left sort out the whole offseason with Thomas sidelined and rehabbing. And Hudson dedicated an astonishing 4 penalties within the span of six performs on New York’s opening drive in opposition to the Cowboys.
“It can’t happen, first of all. That’s the big thing,” Hudson mentioned this week. “There’s a difference between playing with an edge and letting things go too far. I gotta be smarter in that situation. I’m moving past it. It won’t happen again.”
Daboll and the Giants can’t let it occur once more, although. They will’t put Hudson on the sphere.
He introduced himself as an entire legal responsibility together with his lack of composure, even when his intentions have been good making an attempt to get better his NFL profession after an damage plagued season in Cleveland.
“I think it’s just I sat out last year because of an injury, missed a ton of games, so that’s where my passion and emotion comes from,” Hudson mentioned. “Watching the guys play a lot last year and not being able to be out there kind of lit a fire under me. And I approach the game differently now and wear my emotions on my sleeve. I mean, that’s just what it is.”
Right here’s the issue: Daboll appeared to allow Hudson’s conduct this week.
The top coach identified that “one false start penalty that was called on James wasn’t on James,” as if three penalties in six performs as a substitute of 4 is sweet.
And each Daboll and Hudson claimed his open hand slap of Cowboys edge rusher James Houston’s head was a “technique” situation, in Daboll’s phrases, and an accident, in Hudson’s phrases.
“The club, I obviously didn’t mean to do it on purpose,” Hudson mentioned. “If you watch the play, the guy was falling, so I mean my hand was higher a little bit.”
That story is tough to purchase.
Hudson was standing over Houston and straddling the Cowboys cross rusher on the bottom after he had crushed Hudson to sack Russell Wilson on the earlier play. He clearly appeared to be revved up for retaliation.
That is related in Week 3 as a result of if Thomas can’t play on Sunday, that might probably make Mbow the starter and Hudson the backup, one snap away from having to return in with the offense.
Daboll clearly doesn’t have management of the state of affairs.
Hudson misplaced his mood to assist begin a brawl within the spring. He mentioned Daboll instructed him again then that he’s “got to get control of it,” and the offensive lineman nonetheless flew off the deal with when it mattered most.
Now it seems like there may be extra strain than ever for Thomas to relent, full his cautious rehab and enter the lineup.
However that would be the mistaken choice if he’s not 100% assured it’s the fitting name.
As a result of as unhealthy as this 0-2 state of affairs feels proper now, if the Giants have proven something in recent times, issues can all the time worsen.
WORTHY QUESTIONABLE FOR CHIEFS
Giants linebacker Darius Muasau (concussion/eye) was dominated out for Sunday’s recreation. Linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (calf) and defensive lineman Rakeem Nuñez-Roches Sr. (foot) are uncertain. And Thomas, defensive lineman Chauncey Golston (ankle) and returner Gunner Olszewski (again) are all questionable… For Kansas Metropolis, Chiefs defensive finish Mike Danna (quad) and nook Kristian Fulton (ankle) are out, and large receivers Xavier Worthy (shoulder) and Jalen Royals (knee) are questionable.
