No Extension Talks Between Giants, Kayvon Thibodeaux

Thibodeaux has not quite lived up to that billing. He has just 23.5 sacks and 31 tackles for loss across 53 games in the last four years. Much of that production came in 2023; after a promising rookie year, he broke out with 11.5 sacks and 12 TFLs. In the last two years, though, Thibodeaux has posted just eight sacks and 13 TFLs. That is largely due to injuries that sidelined him for 12 games; the Giants’ additions of Brian Burns in 2024 and Abdul Carter in 2025 also cut into his playing time.

Burns and Carter now appear to be the future of the Giants’ edge rusher room. It is not surprising, therefore, that the team has yet to engage Thibodeaux in any extension talks, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. Instead, he is poised to play out the 2026 season on his fifth-year option (worth $14.75MM) and look to cash in next year, most likely in free agency.

Thibodeaux’s 2023 numbers had him on track to earn a market-level contract for his position, but the last two years have complicated his value. In 2024, he logged 38 pressures, a 10.6% pressure rate, and a 14.2% pass rush win rate per Pro Football Focus (subscription required); in 2025, those numbers were 32, 9.9%, and 11.1%, respectively. Those are comparable to Dayo Odeyingbo, who signed a $16MM AAV deal with the Bears last year, and Boye Mafe, who will earn $20MM per year on his new deal with the Bengals.

Thibodeaux still maintained a robust 72% snap share when healthy last year with a 2:1 ratio of pass rush to run defense snaps, a significantly more pass rush-heavy role than Burns and Carter. If he gets a similar opportunity set in 2026 with some positive regression, he could set himself up for a major payday in 2027.