Nate Solder has struggled mightily ever since the New York Giants inked him to a four-year deal prior to the 2018 season.
The issues among the New York Giants offensive line have been very much existent and apparent over the last few years, and many point the finger towards the most important position within the unit. Left tackle Nate Solder has concurred on-field complications since his Giants tenure began in March 2018 and simply hasn’t lived up to his four-year, $62 million deal.
With rookie tackle Andrew Thomas now entering the organization, there’s a general belief that Solder’s time with the ballclub may be nearing the end. But in a portrayal of optimism, the team’s newly hired head coach is siding with his struggle-filled veteran.
“Yes, I believe in Nate Solder,” Joe Judge told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. “I’m happy Nate Solder is here. I can’t wait to work with him on the field. Nate’s been a great leader for us, Nate’s working his butt off. I’m very excited to have Nate on the team.”
There’s a chance Solder’s difficulties the last pair of seasons had to do with Pat Shurmur’s inconsistent and ineffective offensive gameplans. A new offensive coordinator in Jason Garrett and offensive line coach in Marc Colombo could bring Solder to that level of success the Giants need.
Despite the fact that Thomas — the team’s 2020 first-round selection — will now be portraying his talents with Big Blue, the Giants’ best bet will be to keep Solder at the left tackle position. Throwing a rookie into one of the toughest positions in the sport is a huge task, especially when said rookie didn’t experience a normal offseason ahead of his inaugural NFL campaign.
So unless Solder continues to struggle or is part of a mid-season trade, expect the 10th-year pro to perform on Daniel Jones’ blindside for at least the majority of the year.
