New York Giants outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux has carried himself like he'll be back with the club in 2026 despite constant trade chatter. And by the sound of it, his excitement about the arrival of legendary head coach John Harbaugh counteracts any long-term uncertainty.
Thibodeaux is reportedly embracing the long-overdue culture shift coming to East Rutherford. He asked some who previously played for Harbaugh what to expect, per the New York Post's Paul Schwartz, and the results were as expected.
By all indications, the Giants are getting an 'old-school' leader who's 'strict' but has a rare blend of football knowledge and love for the game. Harbaugh gives the Giants a direction and brings a sense of accountability that they've lacked for much of the past decade-plus. That's ostensibly music to Thibodeaux's ears as he prepares for his fifth NFL campaign.
Kayvon Thibodeaux is excited for John Harbaugh's hard-nosed style to rub off on the Giants
So often we see people change their approach to cater to others, though that's not Harbaugh's forte. Instead, he anticipates players to align with his vision and isn't afraid to tell it like it is when they step out of line. Thibodeaux expressed appreciation for having someone that will challenge him and the Giants to meet and raise their standard daily.
"For me, specifically, I like old-school coaches because they just take no bulls-t, black and white, you know what you're gonna get every day," Thibodeaux said. "I think with a lot of young guys that we have, I think it's going to be good for him to really get it in order."
It's easy to see why Thibodeaux is fired up. He and the Giants' talented yet youthful stop unit can learn a lot from someone of a Super Bowl-winning sideline general of Harbaugh's pedigree. The latter has an illustrious track record of success as a highly respected defensive mind and has worked with an extensive catalog of high-level contributors.
Between Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Ed Reed, Haloti Ngata, and more recently Roquan Smith, Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton, Harbaugh has routinely churned out All-Pro defenders. A couple of the names mentioned have even been inducted into the Hall of Fame. The strong proof of concept has Thibodeaux eager for what lies ahead for him and the Giants.
A shoulder injury limited Thibodeaux to 10 games in 2025. The 2022 first-round pick had a down year as a disruptor, amassing just 2.5 sacks and a middling pass-rush win rate (11.1 percent). Nevertheless, he posted an impressive 80.7 Pro Football Focus run-defense grade, which ranked seventh out of 118 qualified edge defenders.