Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux won’t play on MNF vs. Patriots

The Jaxson Dart era in New York is officially back on. After two starts from Jameis Winston, interim head coach Mike Kafka confirmed that the rookie has cleared concussion protocol and will start Monday night against the 10-2 Patriots, giving the Giants another chance to evaluate the quarterback they hope will anchor their future. With Dart’s dual-threat profile and a quietly improving supporting cast, the final stretch of 2025 is all about growth, not the standings.

That process just got a lot tougher on the other side of the ball. As Adam Schefter reported on X, the Giants have ruled out outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux for Monday night’s game in New England. Losing their top pass rusher against a 10-win Patriots team is a brutal blow for a defense that already spends too much time on the field.

Thibodeaux’s absence forces New York to lean on a committee of young edge rushers and rotational veterans to manufacture pressure. Kafka and the defensive staff will likely have to dial up more simulated pressures and blitz looks to avoid giving New England’s offense clean pockets all night. It also puts extra stress on a secondary that has been playing without several key pieces for weeks.

For Dart, that reality means he cannot simply “manage” the game. If the pass rush doesn’t get home, the rookie may be playing from behind early, and the Giants will need him to push the ball vertically the way Winston did with Wan’Dale Robinson during the near-upset of Detroit. The organization wants him to test his arm and decision-making without slipping into hero ball.

Amid the grind of a 2-10 season, the locker room is still finding emotional anchors. One of them is injured rookie running back Cam Skattebo, who recently went viral on a livestream while saying his dream is to be “a Giant for life,” insisting he loves the city and his bond with Dart.

That kind of public loyalty, after a knee injury cut short a promising debut (410 rushing yards and five touchdowns in eight games), resonates with a fan base starving for long-term building blocks.

Between Dart’s return, Thibodeaux’s absence, and voices like Skattebo’s, Monday night in Foxborough is less about the standings and more about seeing which pieces can realistically carry the Giants into whatever comes after this lost season.