Getty Giants top draft pick Kayvon Thibodeaux made a major announcement on Monday, May 16.
Well, that’s nowhere near as bad as it could’ve been, right?
The New York Giants‘ top draft pick, Kayvon Thibodeaux, didn’t see much action during OTAs this past spring with an injury that was kept undisclosed. At the time, head coach Brian Daboll was vague about Thibodeaux’s status, which certainly could’ve been a cause for concern, but the injury has now been revealed.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan revealed the injury on June 24.
Quick injury update: Kayvon Thibodeaux’s mystery injury this spring was a “tweaked hip,” per source. It’s considered minor, so I’d expect him to be ready for the start of training camp.
The team’s decision to keep Thibodeaux sidelined is just the latest sign that the decision-makers are bringing a different style from their predecessors. Earlier in June, Dan Duggan wrote about Daboll’s approach being completely different from former head coach Joe Judge’s.
The first-year head coach called off the final day of mandatory training camp, opting for a team cookout rather than another practice session. Duggan called the Giants “excessively cautious with injuries” during OTAs.
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As for Thibodeaux, the 21-year-old didn’t have much of an injury history in college, with the most noteworthy being an ankle injury suffered at the beginning of the 2021 season. He missed a couple of games before returning to play the rest of the season.
It certainly appears like Thibodeaux will be ready for the start of training camp, but it seems like a good bet that this staff will continue to play it safe with the prized rookie as the most important thing would be his availability to begin the season. Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report has gone as far as predicting Thibodeaux to “run away” with the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, as the hype heats up for the upcoming season.
Sterling Shepard’s Status a Mystery
In his discussion of Kayvon Thibodeaux’s injury, Dan Duggan was asked about Sterling Shepard’s injury and his answer wasn’t exactly encouraging.
@clt_ny I had heard early in the offseason there was optimism that he’d be ready for camp but I’m skeptical after seeing how little he did in the spring.
While one of the more veteran players on the club, Shepard has had an extensive injury history, with last year being no exception. The 29-year-old suffered a hamstring injury, a quad injury, and finally, a torn Achilles that sidelined him for the rest of the season. Shepard’s situation is clearly much different from Thibodeaux’s which is a cause for concern regarding his status for the start of the season.
Shepard will be entering his seventh season in the NFL, all with the Giants. He has 3,884 career receiving yards to go with 21 touchdowns. The team’s longest-tenured player restructured his contract this offseason to return on a one-year deal.
Former Giants Star Dies at 93 Years Old
Hugh McElhenny, one of the NFL’s stars during the 1950s died last week at the age of 93. The halfback, who was best known for his nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, played with the New York Giants in 1963.
McElhenny helped that team reach the NFL Championship game that year in a losing effort to the Chicago Bears. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1970. McElhenny was a six-time Pro Bowler, a five-time First-team All-Pro selection, and a member of the 1950s NFL All-Decade team.