Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux Placed on IR After Surgery for Wrist Injury; Out 4 Games

The New York Giants placed linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux on injured reserve on Saturday.

Head coach Brian Daboll originally said Thibodeaux was "week-to-week" after undergoing wrist surgery. Going on IR will require him to miss a minimum of four games.

The Athletic's Dan Duggan reported the Giants believe the 2022 first-round pick will be out for four to six weeks.

Thibodeaux was the Giants' leader in sacks (11.5) in 2023 and his output was double the next closest player (Jihad Ward, five). To ease the pressure on the 23-year-old, they acquired Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers and handed him a $141 million extension.

New York's pass rush has taken a big step forward compared to last year. The defense tied for the fourth-fewest sacks (34) in the NFL and now leads the league with 22.

Even though Thibodeaux hasn't posted gaudy individual numbers (two sacks, 12 tackles and seven quarterback hits), his absence will be felt along the front seven.

The next month presents a big opportunity for Azeez Ojulari to showcase his skills.

Ojulari got his career off to an encouraging start as he posted eight sacks as a rookie in 2021. Injuries then limited him to 18 appearances between 2022 and 2023 before the Burns trade pushed him down the depth chart.

Ojulari is headed for free agency in the offseason, so putting together a strong stretch while Thibodeaux is out could yield some tangible dividends down the line.