Giants' Thibodeaux Chasing T.J. Watt

Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt might not be the best edge rusher in football, but his consistent presence among the top defensive players in football earns him a spot in that conversation. He may not finish his career with the most sacks or Defensive Player of the Year Awards. He might not remain in the pantheon of the elite as long as some others.

But until somebody earns 23 sacks in a season, Watt will have an accomplishment separating him from the pack.

Watt is tied with New York Giants legend Michael Strahan for the most sacks in a single season, posting 22.5 in 2021. Now another New York edge rusher is gunning for his title.

Kayvon Thibodeaux, the Giants’ 2022 first-round pick, is chasing down the Steelers star, setting the bar extraordinarily high for his 2025 performance.

“More [sacks] than I ever had,” Thibodeaux told reporters on Tuesday. “Every time I come out on the field, I want to have more sacks than I ever had, more tackles than I ever had and whatever I got to do to help the team. So yeah. I'm still going for the record, I'm going to go for the record every year.”

Granted, Thibodeaux’s career-best sack total is 11.5, set in 2023. That was largely the result of exceeding his pass-rushing peripherals, although he improved upon those marks in 2024 while injuries limited him to 5.5 sacks.

A jump could be in store for Thibodeaux, and he’s looking to prove himself after an underwhelming third season. Making good on his draft capital after his fifth-year option was accepted will certainly get him paid like a star, even if he hasn’t ascended just yet.

“I've always been hungry,” he added. “I grew up poor and this is an opportunity to make more money than you'll ever make in your life. So, there's no added pressure, there's no added motivation. I think the motivation is not only to get here, but to stay here and then once you're here, you're in a land full of lions, you got to come out on top. So, for me, I just want to be the best now. That's kind of what my motivation is and that's what I'm here to do.”

Thibodeaux breaking Watt’s record would be as unforeseen of a breakout as any in recent memory. Further, his job got harder in 2025, at least in terms of raw production. The Giants drafted edge rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick. When on the field together, Carter stands to alleviate pressure from Thibodeaux (much like edge rusher Brian Burns and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence). With fewer playing time comes fewer opportunities to impact the box score, rendering Thibodeaux with little chance at a sack title, much less the record.

He isn’t in line for hardware, but both Thibodeaux and Watt have something to prove in 2025. The former has his eyes on being the best in the sport. The latter wants to hold onto that status for as long as possible.