Things certainly haven't gone according to plan for Kayvon Thibodeaux and his young NFL career with the New York Giants. Through four seasons, he remains as unproven as he was four years ago, when they selected him fifth overall in the 2022 Draft.
He's been out with a shoulder injury since Week 10, with a real possibility he misses the team's Week 16 contest against the Minnesota Vikings, too. It's just been one thing after another with the could-be-star pass-rusher, but there's always been something holding him back.
And maybe it’s time the Giants stop holding out hope on him, too.
It'd definitely be a tough pill to swallow for general manager Joe Schoen, who spent his first-ever Giants draft pick on the former Oregon standout. It's a Schoen specialty to hold onto draft picks who don't produce for too long -- think Evan Neal, Jalin Hyatt, and Deonte Banks.
He’s not in the same tier, but the pattern is familiar, and at this point, a clean break might serve both sides well. As soon as the G-Men selected Abdul Carter third overall in the 2025 Draft, rumors of Thibodeaux's availability ran rampant. Seemingly, any and every team with pass-rushing needs was linked to the 25-year-old.
And with the season winding down, it’s time for Schoen and Co. to do right by both sides and start dialing up some of those teams this offseason.
Giants may finally be ready to cut ties with Kayvon Thibodeaux
A few factors are working against the California native staying in East Rutherford.
Just a few weeks ago, Carter was having trouble staying on the field. Nothing injury-related, just the casual minor suspensions for showing up late and sleeping through team meetings. Having Thibs was the perfect insurance plan -- if the rookie's problems persisted, of course.
Unfortunately for him, the 22-year-old rookie linebacker had his best performance of the season. His Week 15 breakout is everything Giants fans thought he'd be all season, but better late than never. Another pass-rusher in his way is Brian Burns. Interestingly enough, Thibs was coming off an impressive 11.5 sack sophomore campaign, and then Schoen pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers to bring in Spida.
Since then, it’s felt like a slow fade for the former Oregon Duck. Burns has been eating into KT's production, 8.0 sacks in 22 games since the acquisition (including just 2.5 this year), but we'll dive more into that another time. I just wanted to note that adding Burns hasn't unlocked Thibodeaux. It's actually done the opposite.
Additionally, the G-Men picked up his fifth-year option immediately after they drafted Carter third overall, giving them control over him for the 2026 season. After that, he's due for an extension. According to Spotrac, he's in the valuation of a four-year, $82 million deal, which is just too much for a glorified depth piece.
With the 6-foot-5 pass-rusher getting phased out and thinking payday, moving him for draft assets to build around rookie quarterback sensation Jaxson Dart becomes a no-brainer. They currently own the No.1 overall pick in the draft, and could look to trade back with a QB-needy team to add more assets. They shouldn't stop there.
Finding a win-win trade would be ideal. Thibodeaux gets a chance to start over, while the Giants grab Dart some extra Day 2 help. If there’s a team willing to bet on his upside, the G-Men should be willing to listen. No hard feelings, it's just time to move on.