New York Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux Saga Keeps Getting Weirder

What exactly is going on with New York Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux this season?

Through five games, Thibodeaux has managed six tackles, no sacks and one quarterback hit. He had just one tackle in the Giants' tie against the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Yes, he did a great job of containing Jayden Daniels on the final play, which forced the clock to run out, but where was he otherwise?

The Giants selected Thibodeaux with the fifth overall pick of the NFL Draft back in 2022, and early on, he appeared to be an up-and-coming star.

After an impressive showing during his rookie campaign, Thibodeaux racked up 50 tackles, 11.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in Year 2. He seemed to be on track for multiple Pro Bowls in the near future.

Instead, Thibodeaux's career has taken a nose dive.

He managed 28 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 12 games during his third season. Last year, he logged 25 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 10 contests. He missed considerable time due to injury, and the Giants made it clear they were no longer prioritizing him when they took Abdul Carter third overall in 2025.

Thibodeaux is in the final year of his rookie contract, so you would think the 25-year-old would be putting his best foot forward to play himself into a big offseason deal. And with Brian Burns out for the season, Thibodeaux has a brilliant opportunity in front of him.

But he's wasting it.

It's actually reaching a point where Thibodeaux might have to settle for a short-term contract in March, and amazingly enough, it might not rule out a Giants reunion.

Now, I do expect some team to offer Thibodeaux a multi-year pact. It's clear he has talent and potential, and there will surely be some clubs out there betting on his 2023 season not being a one-year wonder.

However, if the University of Oregon product continues at this rate, he might have no choice but to accept a one-year prove-it deal.

For context, Thibodeaux owns a 57.3 overall grade at Pro Football Focus this season. He also lays claim to a 53.5 pass-rushing grade, which ranks 90th out of 106 qualifying edge defenders.

I've long been a staunch proponent of PFF not being a be-all-end-all, but the eye test — not to mention Thibodeaux's skimpy production — seems to match the metrics.

It's hard to quantify what has happened to Thibodeaux, whose career appeared to have so much promise three years ago. It's not like he suffered any truly severe injuries that would compromise his athleticism, either. He's just not producing.

Thibodeaux has played in 95.5 percent and 87.1 percent of the Giants' defensive snaps, respectively, the last two weeks. The result? Three tackles. He hasn't even logged a quarterback hit since the season opener.

The NFL trade deadline is approaching, and with Burns out for the year and New York in playoff contention, the chances of Big Blue actually trading Thibodeaux seem slim.

Not that it really matters, because the Giants probably wouldn't get anything more than a late Day 3 pick in exchange for Thibodeaux at this point, anyway.

Hopefully, Thibodeaux is able to turn it around as New York gets deeper into the campaign, but based on his output since 2024, it's getting to a point where we might just have to accept that this is who he is.