Is It Time to Put Giants OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux Trade Discussions to Rest?

Should the New York Giants be looking to move outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux via trade? It’s a question that just doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon and will likely continue to hang around until the NFL’s trade deadline on November 4 passes.

The latest argument for moving Thibodeaux was made by ESPN writer Dan Graziano, who put the 25-year-old on his list of early trade deadline candidates.

Graziano points to Thibodeaux’s $14.751 million cap hit, which represents the option year of his rookie deal, and how that’s a large chunk of change for a player whose playing time and production have tailed off since the fifth-overall pick in the 2022 draft, posted 11.5 sacks in 2023.

That cap hit represents 4.9% of the team’s cap, the fifth-highest percentage on the team at the moment, of his contract.

It’s also a significant figure for a guy who, since that big 2023 season, his lone campaign in which he was healthy enough to play all 17 games, has seen his defensive snaps drop from 87% in Year 2 to 54.2% in Year 2 and 44.3% last year; the last two seasons also saw Thibodeaux miss chunks of the year because of injuries.

Is Thibodeaux worth the cap cost?

Sep 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) throws against New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) in the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Thibodeaux’s scheduled cap hit currently ranks 20th among edge rushers for the coming year, making his monetary figure a relative “bargain” and putting it right about in line for a guy who, assuming he stays healthy, will play rotational snaps and in certain packages.

Before his injury, Thibodeaux generated one pressure for every 14.46 snaps played, according to PFF data. That was second among the team’s edge rushers, behind team leader Abdul Carter (one in every 12) and ahead of team sack leader Brian Burns (one in every 15.39).

The main argument supporting a trade is that the Giants have an abundance of pass rushers with Burns, Carter, and rookie Arvell Reese.

While the financials pose a strong enough reason to support a trade, unless a trade partner emerges that is willing to cough up a Day 2 pick for the former Oregon product, the Giants are unlikely to part with the 25-year-old.

The Giants are, in fact, in a win-win situation regardless of what they do with Thibodeaux.

Figure the pass rusher, who will be seeking a massive payday in free agency next offseason, will use the upcoming campaign to top the numbers he set in his second season. That will only serve to benefit the Giants as they look to win.

And if that does happen and Thibodeaux does move on in free agency, the Giants could end up with a third-round comp pick they’d be able to use in 2028.

Either way, the Giants not only hold all the cards, but if it’s indeed a Day 2 pick they want for Thibodeaux, they stand to get it unless they decide to extend him.

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