As the rumor mill at the NFL Scouting Combine heats up in Indianapolis, Kayvon Thibodeaux’s future with the New York Giants has been cast with a shadow of doubt. While general manager Joe Schoen told the media during his Tuesday presser that the plan “right now” is for Thibodeaux to be back with the team in 2026, league insiders are reporting a totally different outcome for the former No. 5 overall pick.
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Giants Could Look to Trade Kayvon Thibodeaux this Offseason
According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the buzz in Indianapolis suggests that it “seems more likely” the Giants will find a trade partner for Thibodeaux rather than drawing up an extension.
“The Giants have a surplus of impact defensive linemen with Brian Burns and Abdul Carter, and it seems more likely they’ll try to find a trade partner for Thibodeaux than extend the 2022 first-round pick ahead of his fifth-year-option season,” Graziano reported.
“The question is whether the Giants can find a taker for him at that salary in a deep offseason edge rusher market, but the chatter at the combine indicates they’re going to try.”
Trading Thibodeaux might be easier said than done. The 2026 offseason features a robust market of edge rushers with premier talent available in both free agency and the NFL Draft. This might affect and lower the demand for Thibodeaux.
The “Right Now” Disclaimer
At the podium on Tuesday, Joe Schoen offered what sounded like a vote of confidence: “Right now, Kayvon’s gonna be with us… you can’t have enough pass rushers.”
However, in the high-stakes vernacular of the NFL Combine, “right now” can often be the professional equivalent of “until the phone rings.”
Schoen’s non-committal stance follows a 2025 season where Thibodeaux struggled to find his rhythm, recording just 2.5 sacks and 25 tackles across 10 games before a shoulder injury ended his campaign.
With rookie Abdul Carter emerging as a blue-chip force alongside the $141 million man Brian Burns, Thibodeaux is beginning to look like an expensive luxury the Giants may no longer want to afford.
| Player | Games | Sacks | TFL | Pressures* | Snap % | Snap Count |
| Brian Burns | 17 | 16.5 | 22.0 | 53 | 81% | 863 |
| Abdul Carter | 17 | 5.0 | 12.0 | 66 | 78% | 844 |
| Kayvon Thibodeaux | 10 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 32 | 68% | 494 |
The $15 Million Incentive
The primary driver behind the trade chatter is Thibodeaux’s lofty 2026 cap hit. Because the Giants exercised Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option last spring, he is slated to count $14.75 million against the 2026 cap, fully guaranteed.
However, since that option is non-prorated, a trade before June 1st would allow the Giants to wipe the entire figure off their books with zero dead cap penalty.
That salary might be difficult to move in an offseason where the free-agent market is flooded with talent like Trey Hendrickson and Odafe Oweh. But, if Schoen can secure a Day 2 pick, the trade becomes a “no-brainer” for a team with needs across the board and a desire to reinvest in the offensive line.