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Andrew Thomas took another step toward his Giants return, but it may not be enough to see him on the line of scrimmage Sunday. 

On Friday, Thomas got in some team reps for the first time. Still, he is listed as doubtful on the Giants’ injury report as he manages pain and soreness ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the Commanders in Washington. 

“That was my first time doing that. I thought I was pretty good,” Thomas said after practice. “Obviously, from technique, I got to work on and get back into the flow of things, but I thought it was a good day.” 

The sixth-year left tackle, who suffered a Lisfranc injury last October and missed the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery, has been absent from nearly all of training camp. Wednesday was his first intensive practice — doing individual work — since returning two weeks ago, followed by an off day Thursday. 

“My biggest concern is the risk of re-injury. So that’s something that I’ve been talking to the trainers and doctors about just to make sure when I’m out there, I’m ready to go,” Thomas said. “And that’s why we’ve been increasing the volume, but slowly, just to make sure I respond well to it. That’s just working on the pain management, figuring out what you can push through and what you can’t.” 

If the Giants are without Thomas, fifth-year James Hudson III is expected to start. 

The 2022 Second-Team All-Pro said he doesn’t want the uncertainty of his foot injury to carry on to the field. He doesn’t want a half-baked return, nor does he want a rep restriction. 

Thomas wants all or nothing for the sake of the chemistry of the offensive line. 

“We haven’t really discussed that, but I would say, personally, I would like to be on the field to play and I’m sure all the guys feel the same way,” he said. “I think you need the continuity. It’s tough to be on the sideline and come in. I think the rotation is a little harder than, you know, the same five guys are playing.” 

The 26-year-old Georgia native missed 18 games over the past two seasons due to injury, which has led to an inconsistent offensive line for the Giants. 

In 2024, they had 10 different lineup combinations, tied for most in the league. In 2023, the offensive line allowed a franchise-record 85 sacks, the second-most in NFL history. 

Despite the murkiness of Thomas’ health, the Giants showed their commitment to him by restructuring his five-year, $117 million contract running through 2029 on Thursday. It created $12.2 million of salary cap space in 2025 and added $3 million to his cap hits over each of the remaining four years of his contract.