Kayvon Thibodeaux appears to have survived the first major injury scare of his NFL career.
The New York Giants rookie edge defender exited the team’s preseason matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals after getting hit below the knee on a cut block. Below is a video of the moment Thibodeaux went down, courtesy of Alex Wilson of Empire Sports Media on Twitter.
The injury to Kayvon Thibodeaux — it does NOT look good #NYG
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The hit caused immediate controversy on Twitter, as many believed it was a dirty play by Bengals tight end Thaddeus Moss (son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss).
“DIRTY AF,” Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis tweeted.
Thibodeaux received immediate attention from the Giants’ training staff following the hit, but he was spotted walking around on the sideline unassisted shortly after that.
Here’s a clip of Thibodeaux on the sideline after the hit, courtesy of Talkin’ Giants on Twitter.
Kayvon Thibodeaux seems to be alright?
While Thibodeaux was officially ruled out following the hit, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the Giants are optimistic about his injury status moving forward.
“While the Giants quickly ruled out first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux after taking a shot to the knee, my understanding is there’s initial optimism he avoided a major injury,” Pelissero wrote on Twitter.
Thibodeaux was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, so the Giants are obviously hoping that their star rookie will not have to miss significant time. He recorded one tackle before exiting Sunday’s game.
Daniel Jones Nearly Perfect in Three Drives vs. Bengals
The Thibodeaux injury overshadowed everything else that happened in the first half of Sunday’s preseason action, but starting quarterback Daniel Jones actually had a strong showing. In three drives against the Bengals, Jones completed 14 out of 16 pass attempts (87.5 percent) for 116 yards and an interception.
The interception was a well-thrown ball that bounced off the hands of fourth-round rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger. You can’t blame this one on Jones.
Dax Hill was a first-round pick because of plays like this 😱 @daxhill5
📺: #CINvsNYG on @NFLNetwork (check local listings)
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Jones bounced back from the interception by leading an 11-play, 84-yard touchdown drive on the ensuing possession. This 20-yard completion to wide receiver Davis Sills was probably Jones’ best throw of the night.
Perfectly executed fade from @Daniel_Jones10 and @dsv. 🎯
📺: #CINvsNYG on @NFLNetwork (check local listings)
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/QxPz355RKI
In addition to his solid night throwing the ball, Jones had a five-yard run for a first down. Perhaps most importantly, the Bengals sacked him zero times. That is particularly impressive since the Giants’ interior offensive line is currently decimated by injuries.
Jones, the sixth-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, is heading into a make-or-break year. The Giants did not exercise his fifth-year option earlier this offseason, meaning he is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in the spring of 2023.
Graham Gano Suffers a Concussion vs. Bengals
NFL teams typically want to keep their kickers and punters far from the line of fire in preseason, but Graham Gano ended up sustaining a concussion during Sunday’s preseason action against the Bengals (per Dan Salomone of Giants.com).
The injury likely occurred on this kick return, where Gano tried to make the tackle.
Chris Evans almost went all the way.
77 yards on the return! 🔥 @Kidnplay_abc123
📺: #CINvsNYG on @NFLNetwork (check local listings)
📱: Stream on NFL+ t.co/QxPz355RKI
Giants punter Jamie Gillan handled the kicking duties after Gano went down, but that is not a long-term solution. New York may need to bring in a stopgap kicker, if Gano is unable to make a speedy recovery.
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Kayvon Thibodeaux Exits Preseason Game After ‘Dirty’ Hit to Knee [WATCH]