The New York Giants will be down one key defensive playmaker in Week 13 against the New England Patriots, as interim head coach Mike Kafka officially ruled out edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux on November 29.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan reported on the injury news live from Kafka’s press conference, relaying: “Kafka said Kayvon Thibodeaux will miss his third straight game with a shoulder injury.”
Duggan also added that the “statuses of other injured players like Dexter Lawrence and Paulson Adebo are TBD.”
This update comes one day after Kafka said that there is “a chance” Lawrence suits up in Week 13.
Kayvon Thibodeaux’s Fourth Giants Campaign Has Gone Off the Rails Due to Midseason Regression & Injury
GettyThe New York Giants will not get Kayvon Thibodeaux back from injury in Week 13.
Thibodeaux got off to a hot start in 2025, and it had looked like the former first-round selection might put together a bounce-back campaign. However, that hope was derailed by regression and injury.
Thibodeaux managed 2.5 sacks over his first four starts. But after cooling off significantly in the pass-rushing department with zero sacks since October 1, the key playmaker is now injured indefinitely.
He has not appeared in a game since Week 10 against the Chicago Bears, similar to quarterback Jaxson Dart; only Dart is returning for the Giants against the Patriots.
That gives Thibodeaux a 2025 stat line of 2.5 sacks, 5 tackles for a loss, and 9 quarterback hits over 10 starts, which is in the running for a career-worst season in terms of total production.
Throughout Thibodeaux’s first four years in the NFL, the major issue has been consistency. He compiled a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2023 and has spoken about wanting to break Michael Strahan’s single-season record multiple times, but he’s failed to be consistently impactful from week to week.
Needless to say, this prolonged shoulder issue doesn’t help silence those questions as Thibodeaux enters his fifth-year option campaign in 2026 — which will be his final season with the Giants before becoming a free agent in 2027, assuming the two sides don’t agree to a contract extension prior.
Giants’ Risky Paulson Adebo Signing Has Flopped Amid Familiar Injury News
It looks like Adebo could be ruled out again in Week 13, an all-too-familiar feeling for Giants fans as they stare another lost season in the face.
General manager Joe Schoen signed Adebo to a three-year, $54 million contract this offseason, paying out over $34 million in guaranteed money. The big-money acquisition has only started seven games since inking the deal.
Sometimes, injuries are uncontrollable and unpredictable. Other times, they’re not.
Adebo profiled as a risky signing in free agency coming off of a major injury and three seasons in which he didn’t log 17 appearances. In the end, the Giants got burned by that risk in 2025, as that money could have been spent elsewhere.
Even if Adebo does return and play well down the stretch, the Giants are already eliminated from playoff contention, so what benefit does that serve?
Whether Schoen sticks around in 2026 or another GM is hired to take his place, Big Blue needs to get a lot more out of Adebo in his second season with the organization. If not, he’ll be a clear cut candidate in 2027, and that’s not what you want from one of your top signings less than a year after he’s joined the team.
Giants Make Final Call on Kayvon Thibodeaux Injury for Week 13 vs. Patriots