Giants’ former top-5 pass-rusher is under pressure to perform after bye week

The New York Giants are expecting to get fourth-year pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux back from injury after their bye week, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Thibodeaux has been sidelined for three games with a shoulder injury. But the Giants are now on a bye week, giving Thibodeaux plenty of time to rest and recover.

Entering the final stretch of the season, Thibodeaux is under pressure to get back on the field and to perform at a high level to secure his future in New York.

Kayvon Thibodeaux is under pressure to perform in the Giants’ final four games

In his report, Fowler emphasized the pressure Thibodeaux is facing as he returns from injury. The former 2022 fifth-overall pick has plenty left to play for, despite the team being eliminated from the playoffs.

“While the Giants don’t have much to play for in the standings, Thibodeaux certainly does,” Fowler explained. “He is set to play on a fifth-year option worth $14.75 million in 2026. Whether the Giants view him as an extension candidate this offseason is worth monitoring. The last few games could help determine the course of action for both sides.”

The Giants picked up Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option this past offseason, indicating they would like to keep him around, at least in the short term. But, simultaneously, New York invested a top-three draft pick into Thibodeaux’s position, taking Abdul Carter in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

This pick called Thibodeaux’s long-term future into question. However, a shaky rookie season for Carter has possibly added more security to Thibodeaux’s future.

So did Thibodeaux’s strong play during the first portion of the season. He got off to a hot start with 2.5 sacks through the first four games of the season. However, Thibodeaux has not recorded a sack in the last six games.

Can Thibodeaux earn a long-term extension?

With four games left in the season, Thibodeaux needs to increase his production and prove his worth to the Giants’ front office. Ideally, he plays well enough to earn an extension, allowing the Giants to lock him in long-term while lowering his cap hit in 2026. The fifth-year option has a fully guaranteed $14.75 million salary.

But pass-rushers don’t come cheap, and even though his production hasn’t necessarily met the hype of a former top-five pick, Thibodeaux will see a nice pay raise on his next deal. But he has to prove he’s worth such a promotion over the final month of this season.