The New York Giants have officially activated star linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux from IR, allowing him to potentially play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tomorrow in Week 12.
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Thibodeaux, who suffered a wrist injury during the Giants' Week 5 win over Seattle and underwent surgery, has recorded two sacks and seven quarterback hits in five games this season. The Giants currently rank second in the NFL with 36 sacks, trailing only the Denver Broncos, who have 39 with one more game played.
The third-year outside linebacker was placed on injured reserve on October 12 but has now been designated to return. The team gave him the bye week to complete his recovery. While Thibodeaux returns to a team in transition — following the shocking release of quarterback Daniel Jones — he re-enters a pass rush unit that has continued to thrive despite other struggles on the roster.
Thibodeaux was selected by the New York Giants with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he started in 14 games, recording four sacks, 49 total tackles, five passes defended, and two forced fumbles. His impressive debut earned him a spot on the 2022 PFWA All-Rookie Team.
In his second season, Thibodeaux led the team with 11.5 sacks. Through the first five games of this season, he registered 2.5 sacks and was on pace for more quarterback hits compared to the previous year. After finishing 2023 with just 16 QB hits, Thibodeaux tallied seven before being placed on injured reserve.
It goes without saying that Thibodeaux is coming back to a team in a period of chaos. Yesterday, the Giants decided to release QB Jones, who had been benched earlier in the week. Jones will now become a free agent.
Reports indicate that Jones requested his release, and the Giants have agreed to grant it. He will go through waivers, though due to his substantial contract, he is expected to clear them unclaimed.
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Jones' demotion came as a result of his ongoing struggles, with the Giants opting to start Tommy DeVito instead. Initially dropped to third-string, Jones was later moved to fourth on the depth chart, which effectively sealed his fate with the team and led to his request for release.
Tomorrow's game against the Bucs will demonstrate what the Giants will be looking like for the rest of the season, but at least they'll have Thibodeaux available.
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