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The New York Giants fell to the Dallas Cowboys on the road on Thursday, November 28, but that wasn’t the only negative thing that came out of the game for New York. Unfortunately, Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux has gotten some bad news regarding the game, thanks to a play he had with Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush. It was expected the Giants hadn’t heard the end of this play, and now, the NFL is acting.
New York Giants’ Kayvon Thibodeaux Had a Late Hit on Dallas Cowboys QB Cooper Rush
The NFL announced on Saturday, December 7, that Thibodeaux is being fined $16,883 for an unnecessary roughness foul he had during the Giants’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
The play that Thibodeaux is getting fined for was a late hit on Rush. During the play, Thibodeaux quickly got rid of left tackle Chuma Edoga and he was standing close to Rush. But, Rush had already gotten rid of the football, so there was no reason for the hit. The flag didn’t really hurt the Giants, since Dallas punted not long after the automatic first down.
The fine marks Thibodeaux’s second since joining the NFL and Giants in 2022. He was fined last season for a play against the Buffalo Bills.
One nice thing is that even though Thibodeaux has to pay up, the money will go to a good cause. According to the NFL, the money raised through player fines is “donated to the Professional Athletes Foundation to support Legends in need and the NFL Foundation to further support the health, safety and wellness of athletes across all levels, including youth football and the communities that support the game.”
Kayvon Thibodeaux Talks Being a Leader
Speaking to press in a video posted on the Giants’ YouTube page on December 2, Thibodeaux talked about stepping up and being a lead on the Giants’ squad.
“Well, if you ask me from a real standpoint, in my personal opinion, this is a not for long league,” he said. “So, telling guys that you have to wait until after a certain amount of time to be a leader is kind of like, it’s smoke and mirrors because the average is only three years. So, it’s like how long do you expect a great player to come in and not say anything? That’s kind of not realistic.”
He continued, stating, “We hope that the speaking up and everything else is uplifting and for the greater good of the team. But for me, when I came in, I kind of faced the same questions as (Malik) Nabers did a couple weeks ago. But I’m a guy that believes this is a meritocracy. So, if you make plays, you have a voice.”
He added, “If you don’t make plays, you don’t have a voice. That’s the name of the business. So, I would say for young guys coming in, continue to make plays first, and then be an impact in leadership.”
As Ryan Dunleavy from the New York Post points out in a December 3 feature, “Thibodeaux will be eligible for a contract extension for the first time in his career after the season ends.” He adds that the Giants’ “meaningless” games at the end of the season “actually could shape a lot of evaluations on Kayvon Thibodeaux and his future.”
