EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New York Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his right foot to repair a Lisfranc injury, coach Brian Daboll confirmed Wednesday.
Thomas, who signed a five-year, $117.5 million contract in 2023, was hurt late in a 17-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night. A Lisfranc injury occurs in the middle of the foot when at least one of the small bones is broken or sprained or the ligaments that support the foot in that area is torn.
“You can’t replace an Andrew Thomas,” Daboll said. “I feel terrible for him. I was able to text with him today. He had his surgery this morning, everything was successful. He’s a leader, he’s a captain, he’s great in the locker room, he’s a very good football player.”
The Giants (2-4) began practicing on Wednesday for their home game against the Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) with Jermaine Eluemunor staying at right tackle and Joshua Ezeudu on the left side for Thomas.
Daboll said Evan Neal, who had been the starting right tackle since being drafted with the seventh overall pick in 2022, is still a possibility if the Giants decide to flip Eluemunor to the left side. If that were the case, Neal or Ezeudu would start on the right side.
Eluemunor has switched positions in his career, and he is willing to do it again.
“I think people kind of don’t understand how hard it is, mentally and physically,” said the former Raider who signed with the Giants as a free agent in the offseason. “I don’t really know how to compare it to anything just in regular life. But just thinking about, you’re used to doing something a certain way, and then out of nowhere with like two, three days’ notice, you have to switch it.”
Neal has struggled on the field in his career and missed the later part of last season and the start of training camp because of ankle surgery.
This is the first time Neal has not been a starter and he’s trying to learn from it.
“I look at the situation I’m in, and obviously it’s not ideal for me, being that I do want to play, but it’s what I’m asked to do right now and I’m going to embrace this role,” he said. “I’m going to go out there and practice and get better every day. Push my teammates and continue to be who I am and work hard.”
Ezeudu, a third-round pick in 2022, played left tackle last season after Thomas went down in the opening game with a hamstring injury. He said he will be ready for whatever Sunday.
“In college I used to play three positions in a single game,” he said. “So I don’t think I have to prepare because I feel like that’s just something I’ve been used to. And even though I haven’t done it (in the NFL), you could say I feel like I have done it though.”
Daboll said he will decide Friday the configuration of his line for Sunday’s game.
Rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers was back at practice, wearing a non-contact red jersey. He has missed the past two games because of a concussion.
Returning to practice in the jersey moves Nabers closer to getting out of the concussion protocol; the last step is being cleared by an independent neurologist.
Because he remains in the protocol, he is not available for interviews.
“Malik has made progress,” Daboll said. “Good progress where he’s able to come out here today and practice. He’ll have a red jersey on, but he passed some of the steps that he needed to do. He’s better, which is a good thing. So, we’ll see. We’ll go through today. I’m optimistic, but I’m not going to push anything.”
Nabers led the league with 35 catches after four weeks before being hurt in a game against Dallas on Sept. 26.
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