The next five “meaningless” games actually could shape a lot of evaluations on Kayvon Thibodeaux and his future.
A season that began with Thibodeaux eyeing Michael Strahan’s NFL single-season sack record will end with Thibodeaux trying to catch somebody named Michael Hoecht (a Rams defensive tackle with three sacks) far down on the leaderboard.
Like pretty much everything else with the 2024 Giants, Thibodeaux’s season hasn’t gone as expected — from a quiet two-game start to suffering a broken scaphoid bone that required wrist surgery and caused him to miss five games just as he appeared to be heating up.
Thibodeaux registered at least a half-sack in three straight games before he was sidelined.
He has zero sacks in the two games since he returned, leaving his season total at two.
“Super important to finish strong,” Thibodeaux said. “Definitely hungry. There’s still more work out there, focused on trying to finish strong and keep having an impact.”
Thibodeaux will be eligible for a contract extension for the first time in his career after the season ends.
The timing is not as good for him as it would have been coming off of last season when the Pro Bowl snub had the leverage of 11.5 sacks — the most by a Giant since 2014.
General manager Joe Schoen — who extended left tackle Andrew Thomas after three seasons — might be eager to double down on Thibodeaux as his signature draft pick.
Offensive tackle Evan Neal (No. 7 in 2022) still looks like a bust, 2023 first-round cornerback Deonte Banks regressed in his second season and none of Schoen’s 2022 or 2023 second- and third-rounders are meeting expectations.
“The Giants should try to offer him early, but it will be a nearly impossible deal to do,” CBS Sports contract analyst and former NFL agent Joel Corry told The Post. “If I’m him, I’m going to wait because there are going to be some changes [inflating] the pass-rush market. Thibodeaux has no incentive to do a deal because the Giants would rightfully not give him what they think it’s going to be, based on what happened this year.”
The final five games for the playoff-less Giants (2-10) also offer Thibodeaux a chance to expand his presence as a leader.
The Giants are without three of their original five captains following season-ending injuries to Thomas and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, and the release of quarterback Daniel Jones.
“This is a Not For Long league,” Thibodeaux said. “So, telling guys that you have to wait until after a certain amount of time to be a leader is kind of like smoke and mirrors because the average [career] is only three years. … I’m a guy that believes this is a meritocracy. So, if you make plays, you have a voice. If you don’t make plays, you don’t have a voice. That’s the name of the business.”
The Giants’ grand plan this season was to create a pick-your-poison situation for offensive lines trying to double-team Lawrence and still help with Thibodeaux and Brian Burns flying off the edges.
Thibodeaux was supposed to be the biggest beneficiary, which prompted him to say in May that “every year I’m here, I’m going for Michael Strahan’s record” of 22.5 sacks, set in 2001.
Falling short won’t change Thibodeaux’s lofty goal-setting approach.
“Every year I come into this, you’ll probably be asking me, ‘How is the season going?’ with my goals,” Thibodeaux said. “In reality, I have to keep shooting for the stars. Keep putting the work in. As long as your daily habits reflect your goals, I think you’re in a good spot. So, regardless of the result, I’m just going to keep getting better these last five weeks. I’m going to give it all I have. Hopefully, I can come out in a better place.”
It will be more difficult than normal for Thibodeaux and Burns without the help of Lawrence (dislocated elbow) and his team-leading nine sacks.
The “now or never” mindset that Thibodeaux, 23, said he had entering the season was hyperbole, of course.
The Giants likely will pick up the fifth-year option on Thibodeaux’s rookie contract by the May deadline to ensure he is under team control through the 2026 season.
If Thibodeaux has a big year in 2025, the Giants could be in a financial position to keep three defensive linemen on big contracts.
That might not have been the case if Jones were still around, but the likely quarterback reset to a rookie in 2025 or 2026 will open up salary-cap space.
It’s up to Thibodeaux to grab it. Starting fresh right now.
“You’ll be able to afford him,” Corry said, “because you won’t be paying a quarterback.”
