The New York Giants are 3-1 despite losing two of their most important players this season: Quarterback Jaxson Dart and linebacker Brian Burns. After Burns suffered a season-ending knee injury, the Giants at least appeared to have some pass-rush depth to lean on.
In Burns' absence, former first-round picks Abdul Carter (2025) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (2022) would have to step up and embrace a next-man-up mentality. Thibodeaux, in particular, would return to playing on the edge full time for the rest of the season, back at the position he was drafted to play.
In his first game since the Burns injury, the Oregon alumnus left plenty to be desired.
ProFootballFocus has a "Win%" metric for defenders, which is the percentage of "wins" vs blocking on non-penalty
pass rush snaps. Kayvon Thibodeaux has a 0.0 mark -- last of qualifying edge players (50% of 182 snaps). He has four total pressures in 51 pass rush snaps. #Giants…
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) October 5, 2026
The Giants took a major hit when they lost Burns. Thibodeaux suddenly becomes a key piece of the defensive unit, and he will have to raise his game if the defense is going to hold up.
Thibodeaux was a frequent topic in the offseason and was often floated as a potential trade piece as he entered the final year of his contract. The Giants elected to keep him, on the theory that a team can never have too many pass rushers. After the Burns injury, that decision looked as if it might pay off early in the season.
His career has been a mixed bag since he was drafted in 2022. He has shown flashes of playmaking ability, but consistency has been a glaring issue.
The organization's long-term plans for Thibodeaux took a hit last year when the Giants drafted Abdul Carter in 2025, and his playing time and role in the defensive rotation were inconsistent.
With Burns lost so early, though, Thibodeaux has a clear opportunity over the next 13 games to show what he can do and make a real impact as he approaches free agency.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants need more from Kayvon Thibodeaux, who has posted concerning Win%
