Kayvon Thibodeaux Sets Sights on History at Giants Minicamp

Newsweek

6 hours ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
In a town like The Big Apple, one had better master the art of performing well under the bright lights. It's a byproduct of trying to a make name for one's self in this great country's largest media market. Win or lose, the New York Giants are always part of Gotham's discussion, but this next statement doubles as 'stating the obvious'. When they lose, there is always more to talk about.
That expensive offensive line just hasn't gotten the job done. Brian Daboll is supposed to be the offensive genius, and Big Blue's offensive attack hasn't gotten much done under his tenure.
Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the New York Giants
Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the New York Giants
Photo by/Newsweek/Getty Images
And, what about those draft choices, particularly Kayvon Thibodeaux? When is he going to reach his potential? No one knows the answer, not even Thibodeaux himself, but that hasn't lessened his confidence, not one iota.
Must read: Giants Shuffle the Deck in Their Scouting Department
Kayvon Thibodeaux again sets his sights on Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt's NFL sack record
New York isn't a town for everyone. Take those bright lights that were mentioned earlier. They are enough to blind even the most talented stars. Their heat can wilt someone if they aren't quite ready for the attention.
Lawrence Taylor became a legend playing under the spotlight. Michael Strahan blossomed. Big Blue's fans hoped that Thibodeaux would embody some of the best traits from both of them.
But, it's year three. Time has flown, and the Super Bowl glory delivered by both Taylor and Strahan seems to be eluding Mr. Thibodeaux. In fact, the target seems further away than he was drafted fifth overall in 2022.
Must read: Giants Offensive Line Still Expected To Struggle Despite Big Spending
Kayvon is no stranger to being vocal about what his goals are. Well before taking his first NFL snap, he insisted he wanted to "average at least one sack a game or contribute five to ten tackles a game."
If the math is correct, that would have landed him around 85 tackles and 17 sacks. He finished his rookie campaign with 49 tackles and four sacks. His second season was his best to date. He notched 50 tackles and 11.5 sacks. Shortly thereafter, he decided to set the bar high for himself.
He announced he wanted to break the NFL's single-season sack record, one held by Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt and the aforementioned Michael Strahan. The following season, he suffered an injury.
He suffered a wrist injury, one requiring surgery that placed him on the shelf from his trip to the injured reserve on October 12, 2024 to his activation on November 23.
Must read: Abdul Carter Headlines List of Giants Postseason Award Contenders
He finished his third season having notched 28 tackles and 5.5 sacks during 12 starts, but alas, another promise has come. Kayvon met with the New York media during the first day of minicamp and again set his sights on breaking Strahan and Watt's sack record.
"Every time I come out on the field, I want to have more sacks than I ever have, more tackles than I ever have. I'm still going for the record, I'm going for the record every year."
- Kayvon Thibodeaux pic.twitter.com/w1tbQTxVCb — Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) June 17, 2025
And, with that, the clock is restarted and has begun ticking again. Time has flown. It's year four of the Kayvon Thibodeaux experience in the big city.
No one has forgotten the goal. Trust and believe it will be mentioned again if unmet, but here's the obvious question. How is he going to be able to do this while sharing snaps with Brian Burns and rookie Abdul Carter?