The New York Giants are shaking things up a bit for their Week 7 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, rookie left tackle Andrew Thomas is expected to make a return to the squad's starting lineup after being benched for New York's Week 6 victory over the Washington Football Team.
The #Giants plan on having first-round LT Andrew Thomas back in the starting lineup tonight vs. the #Eagles, source said. After a punishment for violating team policy for part of last Sunday, Thomas returns in good standing.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 22, 2020
This certainly bodes well for Thomas, who conceded the starting gig to fellow rookie Matt Peart last week. This was a decision made by Giants coach Joe Judge following reports that Thomas had violated team policy. Peart, a third-round selection in the recent draft, played considerably well for the Giants, which led some to believe that he might have officially surpassed Thomas in the pecking order
As it turns out, however, Thomas' first-half benching from Week 6 was nothing more than a disciplinary measure. He will be back in the starting lineup on Thursday, as he hopes to help his team build on what was their first win of the season last week.
New York took a huge gamble on Thomas, selecting him fourth overall in the draft over the likes of offensive linemen Trsitan Wirfs and Jedrick Wills, among others. The former Georgia standout has yet to live up to the lofty expectations the team has on him, and his recent violation certainly didn't help his case. Nevertheless, Judge appears to remain confident in the 21-year-old—for the time being at least.
Needless to say, Thomas will need to step up his game sooner rather than later, with Peart breathing down his neck.
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