The New York Giants are likely to be without former All-Pro offensive tackle Andrew Thomas on Sunday when they face the Las Vegas Raiders.
After exiting last week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings with a hamstring injury, Thomas is likely to miss the Giants‘ final two games of the regular season.
While New York hasn’t explicitly ruled out their star left tackle yet, interim head coach Mike Kafka announced who would start in place of Thomas if the hamstring holds him back from playing.
“Interim head coach Mike Kafka said LT Andrew Thomas (hamstring) will not practice today but has not yet been ruled out for Sunday’s game. If Thomas is unable to go, rookie Marcus Mbow will start,” wrote Giants managing editor Matt Citak in a post on X.
With Thomas not registering even a limited participation in practice this week, it remains incredibly likely that Marcus Mbow will get the starting nod on Sunday in Las Vegas.
Will the Giants Shut Andrew Thomas Down?
With only two games remaining, and the New York Giants likely eyeing a better draft position, the obvious read is that Thomas is done for the season.
But don’t take my word for it. The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reported something similar earlier in the week.
Mike Kafka described the players who left yesterday’s game with injuries as ‘day-to-day,'” wrote Duggan in a post on X.
“LT Andrew Thomas has a hamstring strain. My strong sense is we won’t see him in the final two games.”
When pressed on his “sense” by a fan on the social media platform, Duggan cited his sources as the basis for his sense.
“Source. Can’t say definitively that he won’t play, but that was the strong impression I got.”
With the Las Vegas Raiders shutting down key players themselves, including tight end Brock Bowers, it makes sense that the Giants will follow suit.
While both teams’ coaching staffs and players will certainly be trying to win, the front offices (though they would never admit it out loud) are probably looking for a competitive loss.
After all, the loser of this game is in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Marcus Mbow, Potential OT of the Future?
With Thomas likely to sit out the remainder of the 2025 season, the New York Giants will get a good look at rookie Marcus Mbow at left tackle to end the season.
With veteran right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor set to test unrestricted free agency this upcoming offseason, Mbow will certainly have a chance to prove he has the chops to be the Giants’ right tackle in 2026 and beyond.
New York selected the swing tackle in the fifth round of last year’s draft, 154th overall.
The rookie got his first start of the season in Week 9 against the San Francisco 49ers in place of the injured Eluemunor.
Now, likely to get his first start at left tackle, Mbow will have a tall task on his hands in Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby.
If the Purdue product can put together a good showing on Sunday, it should ease the minds of Giants fans and decision makers alike that they have a young tackle on their hands who can be a starter in 2026.
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