At 4-2-1, the New York Giants have a strong chance of claiming their first division title since the 2011 season.
With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, New York could make some major transactions that help them toward their goal of winning the NFC East.
However, the team also has a decision to make on former first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. Thibodeaux is set to be a free agent after the season, and was already involved in trade talks prior to the season. Unfortunately, a Brian Burns season-ending injury has resulted in Thibodeaux playing a larger role than expected, which may complicate things in a potential trade.
Although, perhaps New York would be more willing if they truly landed a difference maker in return.
New York Giants May Part Ways With Former First-Round Pick at Trade Deadline
Regarding the New York Giants potentially trading Kayvon Thibodeaux, Giants on SI’s Stephen Lebitsch wrote: “Seven games into the 2026 season, it’s been another relatively quiet start for Thibodeaux in a banged-up Giants defense, prompting another round of pleas for Big Blue to move on and get something in return from another team desperate to add experienced pass-rushing depth.
At 4-2-1, they sit atop the NFC East, their eyes firmly on winning the division, which would put them in the postseason. Does it really make sense then for them to part with guys who have played a role in that, no matter how small?
That said, with there being no guarantee of the Giants getting a compensatory pick for Thibodeaux if he were to walk away in free agency, plus with a compensatory pick, even if awarded, not arriving for the Giants’ use until 2028, the option of moving Thibodeaux needs to remain on the table until the NFL declares “pencils down” on any more trade activity.”
Potential Trade
Lebitsch argued that New York could land a third-round pick, similar to the compensation the Washington Commanders received for Chase Young a few years ago.
Perhaps another route the Giants may take is to flip Thibodeaux for a better player. Sports Illustrated’s Connor Orr pitched the idea of New York trading Thibodeaux for superstar Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby, as he wrote: “The Giants may seem unorthodox for a partner, but I wonder if including Kayvon Thibodeaux in the deal could offset some of the cost. The initial Crosby asking price was two first-round picks, when he was nearly dealt last offseason. Thibodeux is four years younger than Crosby and may wind up cheaper, even on the incredible $29 million APY the Raiders’ defensive end currently makes on his own second contract.
But this move is about more than helping the Giants stay alive in the NFC East. It’s about setting a tone.”
Orr added: “When Thibodeaux was brought up after the Lawrence trade in April, Harbaugh did not immediately suggest that Thibodeaux was untradable (even though the narrative on that was eventually cleaned up). Offering the athletic Thibodeaux—who is on perhaps the best three-game run of his career and nearly had a game-sealing drop-back pick deep in the zone on Sunday—as a kind of preextension trial for the Raiders, could at least form the runway for more substantive trade talks. Crosby could wind down his career as a megastar in the sport’s biggest market for a team that has favorable odds to win the NFC East.”
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