Kayvon Thibodeaux is entering a critical juncture of his NFL career in New York. While many deemed the selection of Penn State standout Abdul Carter in the 2025 NFL Draft the beginning and the end of his time in blue and white, the New York Giants had other plans.
They picked up his fifth-year option, giving the former five-star recruit a vote of confidence with him now under contract through 2026. But make no mistake, nothing besides his roster spot is a guarantee.
But that hasn’t changed the fact that Thibodeaux’s name has been floated around in trade rumors for the better part of this summer. With Carter, Biran Burns, and the signing of Chauncey Golston off the edge, his Giants future feels murkier than ever.
At this stage of his career, the Oregon product is merely a rotational pass rusher entering his fourth NFL season, so now he's a man on a mission in training camp. He wants to fight to return to his role, and he’s poised to be a bull in a china shop in 2025.
Kayvon Thibodeaux is ready to finish the job in the best situation of his career
The 24-year-old pass rusher amassed just 5.5 sacks in 2024, which wasn’t enough for him following an 11.5 sack effort in 2023. It sounded like he mentioned that number with disdain in his voice because it’s abundantly clear No. 5 is not yet satisfied with his NFL production.
“Definitely one of my goals is to finish,” Thibodeaux said. “Just making sure I get everything I deserve this year.”
Kayvon Thibodeaux says his goal is to finish, points out the five half-sacks he got last season, “making sure I get everything I deserve this year” #Giants pic.twitter.com/EiHv4DFsb9
— Madelyn Burke (@MadelynBurke) July 24, 2025
The 2022 No. 5 pick also pointed to the “five half sacks” he recorded in 2024, which he said “should have been whole sacks” in a reference to his obsession over getting the job done. If he had turned those half sacks into full takedowns, he mentioned he probably would finish last season with a seven or eight sack campaign.
And that was in just 12 games of action. Imagine if he had played in all 17.
That kind of precision speaks volumes. He knows exactly where he fell short, and he’s attacking those details like a veteran who’s sick of watching others eat.
His mindset traces back to OTAs earlier this spring, when he didn’t mince words during a media session. He’s coming for the NFL sack record of 22.5 sacks shared by TJ Watt and Giants legend Michael Strahan.
This was a player who was a college All-American and a two-time All-Pac 12 star. And he’s ready to remind everyone why he was so highly touted in the first place.