The New York Giants didn't draft Kayvon Thibodeaux fifth overall in 2022 to watch him become a luxury rotational piece, but a $100 million shockwave from the Steel City just changed the game.
When Joe Schoen chose to draft Thibodeaux with his first ever draft pick as general manager of the Giants, the idea was clear: land the league's next star pass-rusher. Turns out, that's harder than it sounds.
Instead, a rough couple of seasons, an injury-shortened 2025 campaign, and endless trade rumors have clouded what looked to be a once-promising future. It hasn't helped that Big Blue traded for and extended Brian Burns in 2024, drafted Abdul Carter third overall in 2025, and just loaded up further by taking Arvell Reese fifth overall in the 2026 Draft. That's three years of bringing in another hurdle intentionally.
Yet, the cloud hanging over the 25-year-old got a little less grey, thanks to a massive contract handed out over in Pittsburgh. As reported by Adam Schefter, the Steelers completely reset the market by signing non-starting pass-rusher Nick Herbig to a (Her)big -- I had to -- four-year, $100 million extension ($42 million guaranteed):
Edge Nick Herbig and the Pittsburgh Steelers reached agreement today on a four-year, $100 million dollar extension that includes $42 million guaranteed per @MikeGarafolo and me.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 2, 2026
The deal was negotiated by Joe DiBenedetto, Andy Simms and Ken Sarnoff of @1OF1FOOTBALL. pic.twitter.com/NHURhHBxbE
Nick Herbig's mega-deal might've salvaged Kayvon Thibodeaux's cloudy future with the Giants
Herbig, functioning as the third option behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, parlayed a career-high 7.5 sacks last year into a life-changing payday.
For Thibodeaux -- who deserves praise for skipping the contract complaints, avoiding holdouts, and locking in for voluntary OTAs -- Herbig’s deal proves there's a highly lucrative path to playing time, feeling valued, and compensation without being the de facto alpha on your own roster.
Thibs has concrete proof that he can play a rotational role in a defense and still get the bag. Spotrac currently projects his market value at a realistic four years and $85 million (what it's like to be young and play a premium position). If he buys into new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson's scheme, he might just be able to get close to his 11.5-sack 2023 season.
To see why the 6-foot-5, 258-pound pass-rusher should feel confident about his financial situation, take a look at how his production stacks up side-by-side with Herbig over their first three NFL seasons of their respective careers:
Kayvon Thibodeaux | Nick Herbig | |
|---|---|---|
Tackles | 127 | 79 |
Tackles for loss | 26 | 23 |
Sacks | 21.0 | 16.0 |
Quarterback hits | 46 | 32 |
Thibodeaux has him beat in every category.
Instead of treating the arrivals of Burns, Carter, and Reese as an eviction notice, KT can view this as an opportunity to take full advantage of offensive lines that are exhausted trying to keep up with the others.
If he returns to his 2023 form, Schoen will have a pretty expensive decision on his hands. Writing a massive check to a rotational rusher would be a tough pill to swallow for a front office that has always had its back against the salary cap, but the trade-off is exactly what Giants fans have been hoping for.
A breakout season from Thibs likely means the G-Men are in the playoff conversation.
By fully embracing the Herbig role, Thibs can finally solidify a terrifying, relentless, unstoppable tsunami wave of pass-rushers reminiscent of when Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, and Jason Pierre-Paul were routinely deleting quarterbacks from existence.
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