Kayvon Thibodeaux could use a change of scenery, as the pass-rushing specialist is buried on the New York Giants depth chart as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. A former top-five pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Oregon product started off his career in promising fashion, recording 11.5 sacks during his second year in the league. However, injuries limited the pass rusher to just 22 games over the past two seasons, and he doesn’t have the proper environment for a bounce-back season.
Now set to hit free agency after the season, it’s hard to envision any way for Kayvon Thibodeaux to see the field on a regular basis. Brian Burns and former third-overall pick Abdul Carter are ahead of him in the pecking order, and first-round pick Arvell Reese will fight for additional snaps. With this in mind, it’s easy to see why Kayvon Thibodeaux is a popular trade target. Rather than letting him walk for nothing in a year’s time, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport believes New York should trade him to the San Francisco 49ers.
“The San Francisco 49ers are a Super Bowl contender with a pair of edge rushers returning from ACL tears in Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams,” Davenport writes. “If either experiences a setback this summer, that second-round pick might become a lot more palatable for a team in a win-now mode playing in arguably the toughest division in the NFL.”
Giants, 49ers Linked In Kayvon Thibodeaux Trade Rumors
The New York Giants have every reason in the world to try to trade Kayvon Thibodeaux. The former top-five pick has shown potential throughout his time in the league, but it’s been a while since he’s consistently looked like a special player. Since recording 11.5 sacks in 2023, the Oregon product has battled injury and inconsistency over the past two seasons. With Burns, Carter, and (likely) Arvell Reese ahead of him on the depth chart, Thibodeaux won’t have a chance to re-establish his value in 2026. He’ll leave as a free agent, and the talent-poor Giants probably won’t be able to receive a compensatory pick for his depature, as they’ll be too busy signing free agents of their own.
The San Francisco 49ers, meanwhile, are a sensible landing spot for Kayvon Thibodeaux. As mentioned above, the team’s top two pass rushers are returning from season-ending injuries, and nobody knows what they’ll look like when they return to the field. While Bosa and Williams have the potential to be one of the league’s best pass-rushing duos, San Francisco needs some type of insurance in case either one suffers a setback. Thibodeaux could be the perfect choice for the job, but it all depends upon price.
Cost of A Trade
The Giants shopped Kayvon Thibodeaux during the 2026 NFL Draft and actively tried to move him after selecting Reese. According to reports across the league, the New Orleans Saints offered a fourth-round pick for his services, but the Giants weren’t willing to trade him for anything less than a second-round selection.
Quite frankly, this is an astronomical asking price. While nobody denies the potential of Kayvon Thibodeaux, no team would willingly surrender a second-round pick for a player who hasn’t done much of anything in the past two years, especially when he’s set to hit free agency following the season. This asking price seems to suggest the Giants don’t want to trade him and would only accept a ridiculous return for his services.
Maybe Kayvon Thibodeaux is in New York’s long-term plans, or maybe the team was hoping to raise his asking price. Either way, New York will probably accept a lesser return as we get closer to the start of the regular season.
