With the NFL's November 10 trade deadline on the horizon, the New York Giants ' brain trust is undoubtedly spending part of the team's bye week scanning the league for ways to improve the thin areas of John Harbaugh's roster.
Their focus is likely on positions like the defensive line, which needs more productive depth , and the offensive backfield, which had a bounce-back performance against the Houston Texans yet is missing a true three-down running back to shoulder the bulk of Harbaugh's run-heavy aspirations.
Questions also loom about whether the franchise might consider moving any of its own players from healthier parts of the roster to accrue assets that will help strengthen the roster moving forward.
The player most often mentioned in that scenario is outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, whose contract is nearing an end and whose long-term status with the Giants hangs in the balance.
Oct 18, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) before the game against the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The 6-foot-5, 258-pound Thibodeaux lived up to his draft hype in his first two seasons in blue, notching 98 total pressures and 17 sacks, including his lone double-digit sack campaign in 2023, which tied for seventh-most among edge rushers.
The Oregon product also contributed to the Giants' run defense at a respectable clip, logging 70 tackles, including 58 run stops, and forcing five turnovers in that same span.
Since that career-high season, he hasn't sustained that production. Injuries sliced his availability down to 22 games over the next two years. Even when he was on the field, Thibodeaux's pass-rush efficiency dipped as he struggled with tackling and his effort seemed inconsistent from snap to snap.
All of that has sparked speculation and calls from the fanbase to put Thibodeaux on the trade market to see what value they could get for a former first-round pick still in his prime but not meeting expectations that match his draft pedigree.
Seven games into the 2026 season, it's been another relatively quiet start for Thibodeaux in a banged-up Giants defense, prompting another round of pleas for Big Blue to move on and get something in return from another team desperate to add experienced pass-rushing depth.
Thibodeaux is in the final year of his rookie contract, which pays $14.8 million, all of it guaranteed, the second-highest cap hit on the Giants' roster.
He is currently costing the Giants $867,706 in base salary per week, which is what the Giants would save for every week Thibodeaux is not on the roster. That money would add to the $7.4 million in cap space they currently have, which they could use to keep upgrading the roster or potentially extend someone like cornerback Deonte Banks.
Oct 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) reacts as he walks to the sidelines before playing against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Earlier this year, there was some speculation that the Giants were looking for a high Day 2 pick for the former Oregon star. But in history, the Washington Commanders traded defensive end Chase Young to the San Francisco 49ers during the final year of his rookie contract in exchange for a compensatory third-round pick.
That said, does a trade really make sense?
Probably not, unless the Giants receive a sweetheart offer in which a willing trade partner grossly overpays for Thibodeaux.
The team suffered a huge blow when Brian Burns went down for the rest of the season with a Week 4 ACL tear.
Before losing their most talented pass rusher, the defensive front was already hurt by Roy Robertson-Harris's preseason exit with the same ailment, and Chauncey Gholston's season-ending neck injury.
When Burns returns in 2027, he'll reclaim his spot as the top option alongside rising teammates on the edge. While the Giants have to love the impact they are getting at the second level, depth remains a massive concern.
Thibodeaux hasn't been a disaster, despite what some fans might want to believe. He's actually started to play better of late, having logged three pressures in each of his last three starts while making nine of his 11 tackles, including six run stops.
And there is also the question of where the Giants stand right now. At 4-2-1, they sit atop the NFC East, their eyes firmly on winning the division, which would put them in the postseason. Does it really make sense then for them to part with guys who have played a role in that, no matter how small?
That said, with there being no guarantee of the Giants getting a compensatory pick for Thibodeaux if he were to walk away in free agency, plus with a compensatory pick, even if awarded, not arriving for the Giants' use until 2028, the option of moving Thibodeaux needs to remain on the table until the NFL declares "pencils down" on any more trade activity.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/giants/onsi as Should the Giants Trade Kayvon Thibodeaux Before the Deadline? .
