Giants determined to keep star O-lineman Andrew Thomas healthy

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.— He is so important to the team and has such a troubling injury history that whenever it looks as if Andrew Thomas tweaks something it is cause for great alarm.

The Giants know what life is like with him and without him and are well aware which scenario is more conducive to winning football games.Get texts from Paul Schwartz with all the latest Giants news and insights, exclusive to Sports+ subscribers.

And so, when something seems amiss with Thomas, the Giants hold their collective breaths.That anxiety kicked in during Thursday’s joint practice with the Dolphins, when something seemed wrong with one of Thomas’ feet.

It is impossible to forget Thomas going down in mid-October 2024 to a significant Lisfranc foot injury that ended that season for him.This time? Nothing to worry about.Thomas said he is “not a huge fan’’ of the new cleats made for offensive linemen and so he continues to wear an older style.The problem with that is the glue in the old shoes has a tendency to wear out.

That’s what happened when he tried to take on a bull rush from a Dolphins pass rusher and the bottom plate of his shoe came off.That is why he looked off-kilter.“No injuries,’’ he said.

“I’m good.’’Thomas is taking part in everything, a departure from his past summers, when physical issues limited his involvement.The Giants know how valuable he is, though, and treat him as if he is irreplaceable — which, in fact, he is.

Thomas was the only healthy starting offensive lineman held out of the preseason-opening loss to the Vikings and it would be no great surprise if Thomas plays sparingly, or not at all, in Saturday’s game against the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.Thomas has come to realize he is not required to take every snap this time of year.“I used to think that I needed every single preseason rep, and then last year I didn’t do any of the camp and I thought I played just fine,’’ Thomas said.There is nothing Thomas has ...