Giants' Terrifying New Injury Update Has Massive Jaxson Dart Implications

We know that the New York Giants are dealing with a couple of key injuries in wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo. Nabers is recovering from a torn ACL, and Skattebo is rehabbing a gruesome ankle injury.

The prevailing thought is that both playmakers will be ready for Week 1, although there seems to be some trepidation surrounding Nabers' status.

However, the fact that Nabers recently underwent a second procedure on his knee is not the most concerning injury update that has emerged from Giants camp.

It's that star offensive tackle Andrew Thomas was held out of practice Thursday due to a couple of different injuries that he is nursing.

“He has a shoulder [problem] he’s coming back from,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “He’s got a foot [problem] he’s working through. So those things are things we’ll manage.”

Thomas missed the start of 2025 due to a Lisfranc injury, one that resulted in the former All-Pro undergoing surgery in 2024. The fact that that is still an issue is absolutely terrifying considering he is protecting Jaxson Dart's blind side.

And as far as the shoulder? That is completely new, and Thomas himself said that it has been "lingering."

It's only May, so there is plenty of time for Thomas to heal up between now and the season opener, but the foot was supposed to be healed last fall. And any time you hear the word "lingering" in reference to an injury (in this case, the shoulder issue), it's never a good sign.

When he is right, Thomas is one of the best tackles in football. In fact, a big reason why the Giants waited until Week 4 to start Dart last season was because Thomas had not yet gotten healthy.

Once Thomas returned, New York's offensive line largely stabilized, and Dart was able to operate with adequate protection most of the year.

If Thomas ends up sidelined for any period of time in 2026, it will have major implications on Dart and the Giants' offense.

While Big Blue obviously needs Nabers and Skattebo back on the field, it's Thomas who is actually the most important player to Dart. Remove him from the equation, and things could end in disaster.

Yes, New York drafted Francis Mauigoa, who played tackle at Miami, but it did so with the idea of playing him inside. If Thomas is compromised at all for the start of 2026, Marcus Mbow would probably man the left tackle position.

Mbow was definitely impressive in limited action during his rookie campaign last season, but he isn't Thomas.

Hopefully, Thomas will be just fine for opening day and will make it through the season in one piece, but based on the fact that he hasn't played a full campaign since 2020 and has appeared in a grand total of just 29 games the last three years, none of us should be holding our breath. And that's a terrifying thought.

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