New York Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas is going to see a lot more money rolling into his bank account in the next few years after inking a massive extension on Wednesday.
The Giants signed Thomas to a five-year, $117.5 million extension that makes him the second-highest paid left tackle in the sport based on annual average.
And, the $67.5 million guaranteed is the most for an offensive lineman in NFL history.
The Giants signing Thomas to an extension with two years of control left was at least somewhat of a surprise, but the former No. 4 overall pick was happy to get it done as early as possible for a very good reason: security.
“When the staff came to me about getting something done, my team and I, we were eager to get something done, just for security,” he said. “I would say security was the biggest thing, guarantees, things like that. Especially with my history of ankle injuries and things of that nature. Playing offensive line, (there’s) people falling on you every game, you want to be secure. You don’t hope for injuries, but we know that’s a thing that happens in this league.”
“We did it in Buffalo a couple of times,” general manager Joe Schoen said when asked about the early extension. “I’m a believer in it. He played at a high level and he’s our type of guy. To get ahead of those things, I think if he’s willing to do a deal, and it was something we were comfortable with, both parties were happy with where we ended up landing.”
Thomas noted that the two sides began talking extension after the 2022 season, but things really heated up after OTAs this offseason.
The Georgia product has gone through his ups and downs since entering the league in 2020, but he has since developed into one of the better left tackles in the sport thanks to a ton of hard work.
But even with that improvement and the massive payday he just received, the work doesn’t stop for the 24-year-old, who plans on maintaining the same approach that got him to this point.
“I think all of that helped me build my character. It’s what I’ve been through, (the) different staffs, ups and downs as a player and honestly, it’s the same mentality,” he explained.
“Obviously, I’m paid now, I’m secure now, but I’m still working the same approach (as) when I wasn’t performing well, and people didn’t think I deserved to be here, so that’s the same approach that I have now.”
