The New York Giants are raiding the San Francisco 49ers practice squad for offensive line help after news came down that starting left tackle Andrew Thomas would miss the rest of the year with a foot injury.
According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, Giants head coach Brian Daboll told reporters the team is signing veteran OL Chris Hubbard off the 49ers’ practice squad.
Hubbard spent training camp and the preseason with the 49ers on the recommendation of former 49ers offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill, who was teammates with Hubbard last year in Tennessee.
While there appeared to be some chance Hubbard would compete for the starting right tackle job after holding down that spot for the Titans in 2023, the veteran OL never made a real push for that job.
He wound up getting cut and returning to the practice squad in mid-September as internal OL depth for the 49ers. His exit will leave San Francisco short on experience on their practice squad.
Without Hubbard, Isaac Alarcon and undrafted rookie Drake Nugent are the only two internal depth options for San Francisco on the offensive front. Neither player has played a snap in the NFL.
With an open practice squad spot the 49ers could opt to add another offensive lineman. Chances are they’ll wait until after Week 7 to see what their injury situation looks like to make another move. They may also wait until their Week 9 bye to do anything major when they can have time off to assess where their roster stands.