NY Giants Offense Gets Huge Boost as Two Vital Starters Return to Practice

Andrew Thomas comes off the PUP list, while Malik Nabers returns to practice after over a week of being sidelined.

New York Giants offensive tackle Andrew Thomas passed his physical and has been activated off the PUP list. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

New York Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas and wide receiver Malik Nabers, both of whom are big key faces for the team’s offense, have returned to practice on Tuesday, head coach Brian Daboll told reporters.

Thomas, the team’s left tackle, had been on the PUP list all summer as he continued his rehab from season-ending foot surgery following a Week 5 Lisfranc injury. 

The offensive lineman had been gradually ramping up all spring through the summer by doing some sprinting and resistance work to meet what Daboll said was the target date set for him, and still has a good enough chance at being ready for the start of the 2025 regular season.

That’s great news for the offense, which missed Thomas when he was sidelined. Last season, the team saw a dip in rushing and passing yards per game without their offensive line’s pillar, the Giants averaging 105.8 yards on the ground and 213.5 yards in the air with him in the lineups, and 67.5 rushing yards and 114.5 yards in the air without him. 

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers is also back at practice after missing over a week. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nabers, the team’s No. 1 receiver, missed the spring with a toe issue that Daboll mentioned was something that dated back to his college days at LSU. Nabers was able to practice at the start of training camp, but then he had some issues that made the team back off from him, including tightness in his back, which was believed to have kept him sidelined over the last week and a half.

As is the case with Thomas, having Nabers on the field is critical for the Giants' passing offense, especially now that they have quarterbacks capable of hitting the deep passes, which was a part of Nabers’s game that the Giants couldn’t get going last year thanks to shoddy quarterback play.

The Giants' offense averaged 4.8 yards per play with NAbers on the field and 4.4 yards per play without him. 

Nabers, when he spoke with reporters, didn’t seem concerned about potentially missing the start of the regular season, saying that his time on the sideline was all part of a plan the team’s medical staff had for him. 

Both Thomas and Nabers are expected to be limited to start in practice this week, and neither is expected to play in the preseason finale against the New England Patriots on Thursday.

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