Four years after the Giants spent the fifth overall pick on Kayvon Thibodeaux, the outside linebacker’s time with the club may be nearing an end. The Giants have shown a willingness to listen to offers for Thibodeaux. The sense from teams that have spoken with the Giants is that they would “prefer” to move him, Connor Hughes of SNY reports. League sources expect a trade to occur, per Hughes.
Thanks in part to injuries, Thibodeaux has not met expectations during his NFL career. The former Oregon Duck missed three games in his first season, though he finished fourth in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting during a 49-tackle, four-sack campaign. Thibodeaux followed that up with a prolific 2023 in which he recorded 50 tackles, 16 QB hits, 12 TFL and 11.5 sacks over 17 games. His health and production have trended in the wrong direction since then.
Thibodeaux was on IR at times in each of the past two seasons, during which he combined for 12 absences and eight sacks. He registered a career-low 2.5 sacks over 10 games in 2025. A shoulder injury shelved him for the Giants’ last seven games.
Now 25, Thibodeaux is on track to reach free agency after next season. In the meantime, he will earn $14.571MM on his fifth-year option in 2026. Giants general manager Joe Schoen saw enough positives from Thibodeaux during his first three years to exercise the option last spring, but his stock has fallen since then. Multiple sources told Hughes it would be a challenge for the Giants to acquire anything above a fourth-rounder for Thibodeaux.
Selling low on Thibodeaux would be unfortunate for Schoen, who used his first draft pick as a GM on him in 2022. But a couple of Schoen’s more recent investments in pass rushers may make it easier to bid goodbye to Thibodeaux. Schoen dealt second- and fifth-rounders to the Panthers in a 2024 package for Brian Burns. He has since amassed 25 sacks, including a career-high 16.5 last season. The GM went on to spend another premium pick, No. 3 overall, on pass rusher Abdul Carter a year ago. With Burns and Carter ahead of Thibodeaux in the pecking order, an offseason trade looks like a strong possibility.
I wouldn’t trade him just to trade him. Need some value back
There isn’t much of a point to pay that money for a 3rd edge rusher
There’s no reason to give him away, either. Edge rushers don’t play every down and you need a rotation. Can use all three on the field as well. Carter played some DT and ILB last year, no reason he can’t do it again this year.
A 15 million spare part who needs another contract at end of year, if he has another crap year or injury he don’t even count at a 6th in a comp pick. They’d be overjoyed with a 4 or 5.
Blame Schoen for giving him the $15 Million….it was Tibs job to take the money he was offered….if you and anyone else has a problem with him not living up to his contract, that same issue would probably equate to half the players in the league not living up to their dollar contracts given their level of play…..As a young 1st round draft choice, we all would hope he has better value than a 4,5,or 6 God forbid…..he has value but it may not be evident until right before or during the draft when a team desperate for an edge rusher see’s their guy/guys go to another team…
I agree, remember how many good pass rushers they had when they won the Super Bowl? I think they called it the NASCAR package.
Trade to falcons for Mooney and a sixth
Interesting idea, but I think I’d rather keep Thibs.
Eww
Mooney is nice
If Im the Patriots, Im offering my #3 for him.
Good indicator why you’re not a pro 🙂
The talk is a 4th, and giving up #95 is unreasonable? Lol.
Hes a 25 year old pass rusher. Hes got more upside than the guys teams are going to pay $15mill a year for on multi year deals this off season. You can keep him for a minimum of 2 years if you want(franchise after the year). Hell make a bigger impacy this year than pick #95 will, and its a team trying to win immediately. If he doesnt pan out, it was the 95th pick, thats no guarantee to make an impact.
95 for him would be a win for the Patriots.
Like him for the pats though .. price tag, talent, and acquisition cost seems right, and he’s hungry for a new contract
Dont see the downside. #95 is no guarantee to make an impact in ’26, or ever. Its as late of a 3 as you can get. This isnt the 65th pick in the draft.
If it doesnt work out, there’s no long term investment.
But if it works, you’ve got a leg up on signing a 25 year old, double digit sack man long term. Well worth the risk to me.
You can’t have enough pass rushers, hang onto him unless someone offers a second round pick or higher. His sack numbers weren’t there last year but he looked to have improved his tackling. The shoulder may have limited his ability to get off blocks in the trenches. I’d like to see them get away from the 3-4 move back to a 4-3 and put lawrence and Carter in the middle, book ended by burns and thibodeaux.
Think if they don’t pay their backup edge rusher that money could go to their defensive backfield or try to get another playmaker on offense
Guess you think it’s okay to gas your edge rushers in a game because you don’t have backups that are fresh and can come into the game and effect change…..not to be rude, but do you even watch football?
How many teams are paying their back up edge rusher $15m+?
Trade him for Micheal Mayers on the Raiders …
Raiders don’t need a second TE to back up Bowers. Thibs can play opposite Crosby on the defence. Giants in return add a decent young TE with high potential. If he finally clicks that would be massive for pairing with Dart, Skateboo and Nabers
This is an interesting idea. They already have Theo Johnson as their main pass catching TE (who showed great chemistry with Dart), but I imagine Harbaugh will bring his TE heavy philosophy to NY. The hires of Nagy and Roman seem to back that up.
Mayer is the better blocker and would give a great 1-2 punch in the passing game at TE to compliment a shallow WR room and support a young QB.
Makes sense for LV too, especially if they eventually move Crosby. Thibs is young enough to be part of the core they build around.
Not a sexy return, but better than a Day 3 pick.
How does Schoen still have a job?
The Giants seem to have trouble understanding that the purpose of a draft is to build a good team – not just grab the best athlete available at that instant.
You already have Lawrence, Carter and Burns, You can get Thibodeaux for at minimum a 2nd round pick
Never liked him as a prospect and although I was in the minority, it felt like he was a reach at the draft although it was a popular pick. (I remember the kid who came out and made the pick went bananas) He’s always had talent, I just never felt like he had enough drive to be a good pro. Still, at 25 if he gets motivated he could help a team as a situational pass rusher. .But at 15 mil? I’ll pass. Someone will be desperate enough to take him off the Giants hands but I doubt it’d be for more much more than a 4th.
He was great at Oregon. If not the Giants, another team can be able to unlock what he’s capable of.
Too many holes on the rest of the roster to play the “you can never have enough pass rushers” card. This isn’t the NASCAR days, I don’t see a Tuck or Osi anywhere. Trade him for a D lineman who can rush and also stop the run, novel idea…There’s nothing wrong with him, he’s just redundant. I’d rather have my best guys on the field more often and then have less expensive backups to play fewer snaps.
Sure, but if the league values him below a Day 2 pick are you ok selling that low?
I struggle to think they couldn’t get at least a 4th for him. The cap hit is high but he is young enough I’d think a rebuilding team would even be interested at that price.
Would you take a 4th?
Or at that point do you hold him until the deadline as depth/insurance and see if you are in contention or if another team needs him as a final piece and can make the cap hit work?
I can’t imagine they NEED the cap space with so many of their best players still on rookie deals.