Retired NFL QB says Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux is 'hard to root for'

Retired NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason has blasted Kayvon Thibodeaux for how the New York Giants rookie has reacted to what's become a controversial sack of Indianapolis Colts signal-caller Nick Foles. 

"Here’s a guy that’s laying on his back, wind knocked out of him, probably broke a rib or two, kind of like (New York Jets quarterback) Mike White. And here he is, completely unaware of what’s going on," Esiason said during Thursday's edition of the WFAN morning show, per Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "Here’s what he could have said: 'I didn’t realize he was hurt, I was laying on my back doing my snow angel, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize what that looked like.' That’s all he had to say."

Thibodeaux sacked Foles in the second quarter of this past Sunday's 38-10 win and then celebrated by doing a snow angel motion on the stadium turf right next to the visibly-injured quarterback. Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday later criticized Thibodeaux, and the first-year pass-rusher responded on Wednesday by saying he doesn't know who Saturday is and isn't concerned about what such people say about him at this early stage of his playing career. 

"The kid is clueless, I mean in this regard anyway," Esiason, a current NFL analyst, continued about Thibodeaux. "He sounds like a pretty smart kid and should know better, but he’s still a kid and is trying to figure it out. But he’s hard to root for. I can tell you that." 

Giants fans likely don't share Esiason's opinion so soon after Thibodeaux helped Big Blue secure the club's first postseason berth since the 2016 campaign. While the first-round pick from the 2022 draft has only four sacks in his debut season, three of those quarterback takedowns have occurred since Week 13 and the first weekend of December.

Thibodeaux and other starters likely will enjoy some rest ahead of the playoffs when the 9-6-1 Giants finish the regular season at the 13-3 Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday.