There’s a strange irony brewing with the New York Giants. The better Kayvon Thibodeaux plays, the louder the trade whispers around him get. The former No. 5 overall pick is finally starting to deliver on his disruptive promise, dragging his name right back into the rumor mill.
Related: Kayvon Thibodeaux’s breakout couldn’t be worse for Giants front office
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox dropped his Week 5 Trade Big Board, listing Thibodeaux at No. 3 with the suggestion that New York should consider flipping him for a second-round pick or a starting-caliber receiver. It’s the kind of speculative cannonball built to start debates, but also raises a fair question: Why is Thibs always the first one floated when it’s time to sell?
The G-Men just won their first game. Jaxson Dart looks every bit like the next franchise quarterback. The pass rush, featuring Thibodeaux, Brian Burns, and rookie Abdul Carter, is starting to play like we thought they would. So why now?
Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux can’t escape trade rumors
Knox’s breakdown doesn’t totally miss. He writes:
“Now would be the perfect time to try getting a return for Thibodeaux, who has 2.5 sacks through four games. He is set to play on the fifth‑year option in 2026, and the Giants could use another pass-catcher to help support Dart.”
That’s a rational take. Thibodeaux is somehow still only 24, under contract for another year-plus, productive, and plays a premium position. On paper, this is when you can squeeze out maximum value, especially with Nabers out for the year and the offense potentially sputtering.
It's a delicate and tricky situation. This is a team trying to find its form midseason. Trading one of the best defensive players while the unit is finally gaining traction? That’s how you destroy any sort of progress before it can ever truly develop.
Joe Schoen doubled down on No. 5 this spring by exercising the fifth-year option. The bet was clear: build a terrifying front alongside Burns and Carter, and let Thibs hunt. It’s working. Why cash out now?
If the next few weeks go sideways — if Dart struggles, if the offense can’t move the ball, if the losses start to pile up — then trading Thibodeaux makes a lot more sense. Bring in help for the young quarterback, reset for next year, and sell high while they still can.
But that’s just not where the Giants are right now. Not after one gritty win. Not with the defense finally starting to figure it out. And definitely not with the trade deadline still a month away (Tuesday, November 4, 4:00 p.m. ET).
Thibodeaux isn't untouchable. He just deserves to be seen clearly, meaning not as trade bait, but as a core piece unless this team forces a move. Schoen can't afford to keep letting home-grown talent leave, only to be more successful elsewhere. That's a loser strategy. Clearly.
So for now, the rumors are just that... rumors. But don't be surprised if Kayvon's name is everywhere over the next four weeks. For now, defensive coordinator Shane Bowen needs to keep the pedal to the metal approach and deliver a Week 5 win in New Orleans against a winless Saints team.