The one player the Giants desperately wanted and needed to keep on the field this season, more than any other, is done for the season.
Left tackle Andrew Thomas underwent surgery Wednesday morning to repair a Lisfranc fracture in his left foot.
The surgery took place in Charlotte, N.C., performed by noted foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson. The expectation is this ends Thomas’ season after six games.
The Post on Tuesday was first to report it was feared Thomas sustained a significant foot injury during Sunday night’s 17-7 loss to the Bengals and that a Lisfranc injury was suspected.
It is a devastating turn of events for the Giants.
Thomas, 25, is — by far — their best and most accomplished offensive lineman and is considered a franchise building block.
He is under contract through the 2029 season after signing a five-year extension worth $117.5 million.
Since securing that deal, Thomas has had difficulty staying on the field. He missed seven games early last season with a strained hamstring and he now is expected to miss the final 11 games this season.
There is no proven replacement on the roster but the Giants (2-4) will need to line someone up at left tackle — the most important spot on the offensive line — for Sunday’s game against the Eagles (3-2) at MetLife Stadium.
One option is to put third-year Josh Ezeudu in at left tackle, although Ezeudu was not impressive last season in that fill-in role.
Jermaine Eluemunor, a 29-year old veteran in his first season with the Giants, is the starting right tackle but has experience in his career on the left side. He could move to left tackle, with either Ezeudu or forgotten man Evan Neal inserted in at right tackle.
Neal was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and thus far has been a bust. He was coming off off-season ankle surgery and has been active for all six games this season but has not stepped foot on the field — not one snap.
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Ezeudu has played three snaps on offense this season, all as an extra blocker. The five-man offensive line had been durable and intact all season, playing all 419 snaps on offense.
Thomas got hurt during a 16-play touchdown drive in the third quarter of the loss to the Bengals. After that game, Thomas said his foot felt “not great’’ and “sore.’’
Last season, Thomas hurt his hamstring in the season opener and he missed the next seven games, turning an already-suspect offensive line into a historically bad one.
The Giants upgraded the line in 2024, signing Eluemunor, Jon Runyan Jr. and Greg Van Roten. Thomas was always the centerpiece, though, and now he is gone.
