Abdul Carter‘s arrival at No. 3 overall drew immediate speculation about Kayvon Thibodeaux‘s long-term place in New York. The Giants, however, picked up the 2022 first-rounder’s fifth-year option soon after. Thibodeaux, Carter and Brian Burns have coexisted this season.
Burns and Carter, however, are tied to long-term deals. Thibodeaux is signed beyond 2025, thanks to the option guaranteeing his 2026 salary ($14.75MM), but natural questions persist about his Big Apple future around the league. This has led to trade interest, according to veteran insider Jordan Schultz.
At least a few teams have inquired, per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, but the Giants are rebuffing interest at this point. The Giants took this approach last year, declining trade offers for Azeez Ojulari and Darius Slayton. Both players were pending free agents. The team did not circle back to Ojulari with a re-signing, but it did retain Slayton on a three-year, $36MM deal.
Thibodeaux has started all eight Giants games this season, registering 2.5 sacks, five tackles for loss and nine QB hits. Carter has played as a backup, but the Giants are still using the Penn State product on 71% of their defensive plays. That nearly matches Thibodeaux’s usage rate (73%). Burns remains the team’s pass rush anchor, and he is enjoying a strong season. Burns’ 10 sacks lead the NFL; his 76% usage rate paces New York’s edge-rushing contingent.
The Giants do have a rookie salary at quarterback for the first time since 2022, and Jaxson Dart‘s terms will allow for roster flexibility that did not exist during the ill-fated Daniel Jones second contract. Jones is still on the Giants’ 2025 payroll, covering $22.2MM. Next year, however, no more Jones money is on the team’s books. That will create more room, though it remains to be seen if the Giants will entertain Thibodeaux extension talks now that Carter is under contract.
No known Thibodeaux talks transpired this offseason; even before the Carter pick, Thibodeaux did not expect them to commence. After an 11.5-sack 2023, the Oregon product missed five games in 2024 and totaled 5.5 sacks. With Carter now on the team and Burns tied to second-tier money (after this year’s EDGE market boom), the Giants have let this situation play out. If they hold onto Thibodeaux beyond the trade deadline, offseason trade rumors figure to follow as well. For now, though, the Giants’ formidable Burns-Thibodeaux-Carter-Dexter Lawrence quartet is expected to remain in place through at least season’s end.