Sometimes the simplest move is the best move. The Washington Commanders don’t have enough (or any) elite edge rushers. The New York Giants have too many.
The Commanders are Super Bowl contenders. The Giants are staring down another dismal season and need to begin stacking draft picks to build their future.
In the middle, there’s room where the 2 teams can meet. The Commanders can bring some draft capital and the Giants can bring edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux and send him to their NFC East rival and both sides can walk away happy. Both sides are in need, and if the Giants want to get their best value out of Thibodeaux, the time to make a move is now.
“Even with the 2025 draft class running deep with edge rushing talent, the Commanders opted not to address the position, despite it being one of their most glaring needs,” PFF’s Mason Cameron wrote on May 9. “To maximize their window to contend in the NFC, they should make a big move. With names like Trey Hendrickson and Kayvon Thibodeaux floating on the trade block, Washington could make a play for either.”
Giants Made Big Splash at Edge Rusher in NFL Draft
It’s hard not to picture the Giants looking at Thibodeaux as anything more than expendable after they signed edge rusher Brian Burns to a 5-year, $141 million contract extension in March 2024 then taking edge rusher Abdul Carter at No. 3 overall in the 2025 NFL draft.
Carter was actually one of 2 first round picks for the Giants in 2025 along with quarterback Jaxson Dart at No. 25 overall. The Giants went 3-14 in 2024 and were one unfortunate, unnecessary Week 17 win over the Indianapolis Colts from having the No. 1 overall pick.
While the Giants did pick up Thibodeaux’s fifth year option on April 24, that should only be looked at as a mid-range insurance policy in terms of expenses. The $14.751 million he’s owed in 2026 won’t even put him among the 20 highest paid edge rushers in the NFL.
What Thibodeaux Could Bring to Commanders
The Commanders are in desperate need of an elite edge rusher after last season’s sacks leader, Dante Fowler Jr., left in free agency for a 1-year, $6 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys.
Thibodeaux could fill the void left by Fowler and do it while trying to play his way into a lucrative contract extension or a free agent deal with another team. After playing out his rookie contract along with his fifth year option, Thibodeaux will have accumulated approximately $46 million in career earnings.
Thibodeaux, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, has been a good-to-great player on some bad teams with a 17-game average of 8.3 sacks and 18 QB hits through his first 3 seasons, including a career high 11.5 sacks in 2023.
There’s also the added benefit of trading for Thibodeaux and possibly cutting off one of the Commanders’ fiercest rivals in the NFC East. The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are also in desperate need of an edge rusher after last season’s sacks leader, Josh Sweat, left in free agency for a 4-year, $76.4 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals.
