Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas Exits Week 16 Game vs. Vikings with Hamstring Injury

The Giants stalwart left tackle walked off the field midway through the second quarter and is questionable to return.

New York Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas suffered a hamstring injury int he second quarter of the Giants' Week 16 game against the Vikings. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

New York Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas has left Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings with a hamstring injury, and his current status to return is listed as questionable. 

The injury occurred on the third play of the Giants’ opening drive of the second quarter, when Thomas seemed to pull his hamstring during his blocking assignment and went to the ground after the whistle concluded the play. 

Thomas eventually was able to stand up and walk off the field with the help of Giants trainers. Still, he was moving a little gingerly as he headed for the sidelines and didn’t immediately return to the action.

He was replaced by rookie backup Marcus Mbow, who remains in the game while only seeing 150 offensive snaps this season and not earning significant live action since Week 9 against the San Francisco 49ers, when he played 57 snaps for the Giants at right tackle. 

The loss of the veteran left tackle clearly put a wrench in the Giants' game plan for the rest of that drive. They were only able to move the ball a total of 35 yards in twelve plays, nine of them coming via the run, and were forced to settle for a 27-yard field goal by newly minted kicker Ben Sauls that leveled the score at 3-3. 

It’s also a frustrating one for the Giants' offensive line, which has finally been performing at an impressive rate against opposing pass rushes over the last several weeks, with Thomas anchoring the blindside. 

Thomas, who has had to miss time in recent seasons with various lower-body injuries, has played in every single game for the Giants since Week 3, ranking fourth among offensive tackles with an 87.2 pass blocking grade and allowing 13 total pressures, including one sack and seven straight games with under two pressures to his name. 

Thomas was soon seen sitting on the bench behind the Giants' sidelines, and given the team's caution with him after prior hamstring injuries, it might be safe to assume his afternoon is done, as Mbow started the second half.

The Giants have officially updated Thomas's status, confirming he is out for the rest of the game.

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