Andrew Thomas and the Giants’ Contract Moves
The status of Andrew Thomas for the first week is still quite unclear, but the Giants have made a significant move regarding their star left tackle’s future.
Recently, the Giants restructured Thomas’ contract, generating $12.2 million in necessary salary cap space for 2025, as first noted by ESPN.
This restructuring is quite notable, adding $3 million in dead money to his cap hits for each of the remaining four years left on his deal.
The need for this restructuring arose as the Giants had to comply with salary cap regulations before the regular season kicks off on Thursday.
At present, the team reportedly has $3.4 million in cap space based on NFLPA records.
Interestingly, general manager Joe Shane successfully restructured Dexter Lawrence’s contract as a substitute for Thomas’ deal.
It seems Shane prefers to steer clear of accumulating dead money in the future by adjusting contracts of injured players.
This highlights the Giants’ commitment to Thomas, a second-team All-Pro in 2022, as they modify his substantial $117 million contract to extend through 2029.
However, Thomas might not be available for the game against the Commanders on Sunday. He has missed 18 games over the past two seasons due to injuries and is still recovering from an operation he underwent last October to fix Lisfranc injuries in his feet.
History shows that players weighing around 300 pounds with foot injuries often face challenges as they age.
At just 26 years old, Thomas is considered one of the best left tackles in the NFL. The team’s disappointing attempts at building a strong offensive line in the past make it crucial to hang onto such talent.
Nonetheless, it’s worth noting that Thomas didn’t participate in any 11-on-11 drills during preseason. This left the Giants starting the season with James Hudson tasked with protecting Russell Wilson’s blind side.
As of Wednesday, Thomas was marked as a limited participant at practice, the only Giant on the injury list.
The Giants might face additional challenges, as they have limited funds tied up in their practice squad, which means they may need to restructure another contract to manage their roster as the season progresses.
