Giants extend All-Pro LT Andrew Thomas

The Giants selected Thomas fourth overall in 2020 and picked up his fifth-year option in the spring. During an offseason in which the team was unable to come to terms with Saquon Barkley on a long-term agreement, the Giants have reached extension pacts with three more Dave Gettleman-era cornerstones. Joe Schoen has authorized a $40M-per-year Jones deal and a $22.5M-AAV Lawrence re-up. Two months after Lawrence’s agreement, Thomas is now the Giants’ second-highest-paid player.

These terms come after Thomas built on his 2021 rebound season last year, earning his first All-Pro nod. The Georgia alum earned second-team All-Pro acclaim for his work in the Giants’ surprise playoff season. After struggling as a rookie, Thomas has become the Giants’ cornerstone left tackle. This agreement solidifies that status.

The prospect of an early Thomas extension surfaced in April, but teams as a rule wait until first-rounders’ contract years before reaching long-term agreements. Several players have bucked that trend, and Thomas, 24, joined that group Wednesday. Instead of being tied to a $1M base salary and a $4M roster bonus for 2023, Thomas beat Ronnie Stanley‘s guarantee mark by nearly $3M. That is an impressive feat, considering the Ravens left tackle’s guaranteed-at-signing term paced the field by nearly $15M. Thomas’ AAV comes in just ahead of Trent Williams‘ $23M number, which the 49ers signed off on in March 2021. With the salary cap on the rise, Thomas will be one of the players to benefit.

It took Thomas giving up considerable control over his career to make this windfall possible, however. This extension locks down the Giants’ cornerstone left tackle through the 2029 season. Tunsil has twice managed to secure market-resetting extensions on three-year accords, and while Thomas could have increased his leverage by entering a contract year, the Giants put together an early proposal he could not refuse.

In the fifth-year option era, Thomas is only the fifth tackle to sign an extension with two rookie-contract years remaining. Struggling to fill their left tackle post since their Super Bowl XLVI group splintered in the early 2010s, the Giants have seen their Thomas bet pay off. The team had used a top-10 pick on Ereck Flowers and given Nate Solder a position-record deal in March 2018. Neither move worked. When Solder opted out of the 2020 season, that opened the door for Thomas, who initially was set to begin his career at right tackle. When Solder returned in 2021, Thomas did not move off his blindside spot.

Thomas struggled as a rookie but was graded as a top-20 tackle, per Pro Football Focus, in 2021. Last season, PFF ranked Thomas third among all tackles; ESPN’s pass block win rate metric slotted him 10th at the position. The Giants will bet on many more productive years, and Thomas will take the early cash rather than try the Tunsil approach. Due to this agreement, it will be a while before Thomas becomes an extension candidate again. He, Lawrence and Jones are each signed through at least 2026.