Will Beatty decision due Thursday -- Will Giants activate the offensive tackle?

• Beatty will have rotator cuff surgery, miss remainder of season. Full story here

The New York Giants have to remove offensive tackle Will Beatty from the PUP list on Thursday or the veteran offensive tackle will have to remain there for the rest of the season and will be ineligible to play. A week ago it seemed like a fait accompli, a no-brainer that the Giants would activate Beatty from PUP and that, eventually, he would regain a spot in the starting lineup.

Now, with the clock ticking toward the deadline to add Beatty to the 53-man roster, that doesn't seem like nearly as much of a certainty.

Giants' head coach Tom Coughlin was downright snippy on Monday when asked about Beatty, who suffered a torn pectoral muscle lifting weights during OTAs. Initially, Coughlin simply said the Giants would make the decision later this week. When pressed, he said this:

"Will didn't play yesterday. Is there anything you want to ask me about the game? Will is going to practice this week and the decision will be made. That's all you're going to get, I'm sorry, but that's it. Do you have any questions about the game?"

That didn't sound like a coach who wanted to talk about Beatty, or was convinced that the 2009 second-round draft pick was ready to help the Giants at this point.

Beatty has been the Giants' starting left tackle since 2011. With Beatty out, rookie first-round pick Ereck Flowers assumed the left tackle post and journeyman Marshall Newhouse has been manning the right tackle spot. Coughlin said the Giants "know what to do with Beatty" if they activate him.

At this point, perhaps that plan would be to use Beatty as the jumbo tight end, eventually replacing Newhouse on the right side. As Pat Traina (Bleacher Report/Inside Football) and I discussed on the most recent "Big Blue Chat" podcast it seems unlikely at this point that the Giants would move Flowers off the left tackle spot.

The other complicating factor is the current injury situation. The Giants are thin in several spots on the roster. Where would they feel comfortable in removing a player to make room for Beatty.

Of course, all of that will be a moot point if the Giants don't activate Beatty today. The clock is ticking. We will know for sure soon enough.