New York Giants update status of rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux ahead of Week 1

We might have to wait a bit to get Kayvon Thibodeaux’s NFL debut.

The former Oregon Duck standout and New York Giants rookie has been listed as doubtful by the team for Sunday’s season-opener against the Tennessee Titans. Dan Duggan, the Giants writer for The Athletic, shared the injury report to Twitter on Friday.

Giants list OLBs Azeez Ojulari and Kayvon Thibodeaux as doubtful for Sunday, so they’re not going too far with gamesmanship. Safety Dane Belton (clavicle) is listed as questionable. Hard to imagine a rookie playing after missing so much time without having contact in practice.

— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) September 9, 2022

Thibodeaux hasn’t played since he left the team’s preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals in the second quarter with a knee injury. The pass-rusher was cut low on a block attempt, and was able to walk off the field under his own power but was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game. He missed the team’s final preseason game with what the Giants said was a sprained MCL.

Since, according to reports from Giants training camp, Thibodeaux has been focusing on footwork and hand-to-hand drills. An MCL sprain would be around a three-week recovery timetable.

The Giants’ home-opener is against the Carolina Panthers next Sunday, Sept. 18. New York plays the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football in Week 3, on Sept. 26.  Thibodeaux, the team’s No. 5 overall pick in the most recent NFL Draft, had been working with the first-team defense since the start of OTAs in the spring.