Giants OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux’s Return from Shoulder Injury Reportedly Set

Thibodeaux has missed three games with a shoulder injury.

New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Lost in a season that’s gone astray has been the three-week (and counting) absence of New York Giants outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux from a shoulder injury he suffered in the team’s Week 10 loss to the Chicago Bears.

Thibodeaux, who in 10 games this season has 2.5 sacks, 25 combined tackles, five tackles for loss, and nine quarterback hits, is currently the highest graded Giants run defender per Pro Football Focus, noting an impressive 80.7 grade. 

His 32 pressures, as credited by the analytics site, are the third most on the team, behind fellow outside linebackers Abdul Carter and Brian Burns, respectively, and his 19 stops rank fourth.

Thibodeaux is eyeing a Week 15 return to the lineup after missing the three games and having the benefit of the bye week to let his injury heal. 

The Giants will host the Washington Commanders, coming out of their bye week, the first of three home dates of their remaining four games.

Why Thibodeaux's return to the lineup matters

New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) tackles Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) during a game at MetLife Stadium, Sep 28, 2025, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Thibodeaux’s numbers might not show it, but he’s had a solid season for the most part. The Giants exercised his fifth-year option this past May, meaning he’s set to count for $14.751 million against the team’s 2026 salary cap next year.

The Giants have sought to extend those players whose option years they exercised before said players actually hit the option year. 

Most recently, the Giants did so with offensive tackle Andrew Thomas and defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence, and attempted to do so (albeit unsuccessfully) with running back Saquon Barkley.

But an extension for Thibodeaux isn’t necessarily a slam dunk for several reasons. 

For one, it’s not a given that general manager Joe Schoen, who drafted Thibodeaux, will remain in his post beyond this season, despite a team statement to the contrary following the dismissal of head coach Brian Daboll.

Two, the Giants drafted Carter to presumably play a bigger role opposite Brian Burns. Carter, unfortunately, has been something of a disappointment: twice during Thibodeaux’s absence from the lineup, the rookie drew benchings as punishment for indiscretions against the team.

There is also the matter of Thibodeaux’s recent injury history. Last season, he missed five games due to a broken wrist that required surgery. This season, assuming he returns to the starting lineup in Week 15 and stays there, he will have missed three games. 

Still, when all is said and done, Thibodeaux has started to round into a solid two-way defender against the run and the pass, and perhaps with a more creative defensive coordinator calling the shots starting next season, Thibodeaux will finally reach the level that many believed his talent showed at the college level suggested he’d reach.

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