Giants Get $93 Million Reminder Ahead of Training Camp

With New York Giants training camp set to begin in days, not weeks, the Kansas City Chiefs’ massive extension of edge defender George Karlaftis acted as a painful reminder for Big Blue.

“Chiefs and 2022 first-round pick George Karlaftis reached [an] agreement today on a four-year $93 million contract extension that includes $62 million guaranteed, per his agency the @WINSportsGroup,” ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported on July 20.

Adding: “Karlaftis posted 24.5 sacks during his first three seasons in Kansas City – and now will continue as a focal point of the Chiefs’ defense.”

You might be wondering how this NFL news relates to the Giants.

Well, former first-round edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux was drafted the same year as Karlaftis, exactly 25 spots earlier. Both 2022 firsts also play the same position, had their fifth-round options picked up, and have produced at a similar rate throughout their first three NFL campaigns.

Regarding the latter, it should be noted that Karlaftis has recorded 3.5 more regular season sacks than Thibodeaux, but 2 fewer tackles for a loss. The Chiefs DE has also provided a stellar playoff impact, with 8.0 postseason sacks compared to Thibodeaux’s zero.

Based on those acknowledgements, it’s fair to argue that Karlaftis has been the better player so far, but the two 2022 prospects are in the same vicinity. And as we know, prices go up over time, so Thibodeaux’s 2027 price will likely be higher than whatever an extension might cost right now.

With all that in mind, Karlaftis’ $93 million deal reiterates the fact that the Giants cannot afford Thibodeaux when the time comes. They are already paying Brian Burns $28.2 million per year at the same position, and Abdul Carter won’t be cheap forever.

Which brings us back to a popular conclusion.

Giants Should Trade Kayvon Thibodeaux If They Fall Out of Playoff Race in 2025

Clearly, the Giants don’t seem to have any intention of trading Thibodeaux before Week 1. But they should really consider a midseason trade if things go awry.

George Karlaftis’ $93 million extension is just the latest reminder that Thibodeaux will not fit into the Giants’ long-term plans, and they might as well get something back for the 24-year-old pass rusher while they can.

That doesn’t mean send him packing prior to Giants training camp, but as a midseason bargaining chip, why not?

If Big Blue sees itself falling out of the playoff race quickly in 2025, it would actually be irresponsible not to trade Thibodeaux.

Even if they are competitive, however, moving him is probably the wise decision long-term — assuming general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll still think about a future beyond this season.

Giants Reporter Predicts NYG Edge Rusher Snap Percentages Ahead of Training Camp

On July 7, during an edition of Giants.com’s “25 questions in 25 days” series, team reporter John Schmeelk detailed a prediction for the NYG edge rusher snap percentages in 2025.

“In a normal formation, there are two edge players on the field at a time,” Schmeelk began. “The Giants averaged around 62 plays per game last year on defense, which is on the lower side. For our purposes, let’s use an average of 65 defensive plays per game, which means 130 snaps to dole out between the two primary edge spots per game.”

“Last season, Brian Burns played 79 percent of the defensive snaps and Kayvon Thibodeaux played 75 percent,” he continued. “Azeez Ojulari was at 58 percent. Using simple math, that means those three players were on the field together for 12 percent of the team snaps.”

Schmeelk then predicted that the Giants will bring Burns down to around 70 percent of defensive snaps this year (assuming health), with Thibodeaux dropping to 65 percent. He filled in the gaps with versatile pass rushers Carter and Chauncey Golston.

“Carter provides a lot more flexibility to line up in passing situations behind the line of scrimmage as a joker rusher than Ojulari did last year. Let’s say Carter does that on 15 percent of plays each week, which would be about 10 plays per game. There should be another eight plays (12 percent) where he shares the field with Carter and Thibodeaux in short yardage,” the NYG reporter stated.

Adding: “That means Carter is getting 27 percent of the snaps (15 percent as a joker rusher + 12 percent in short yardage) without ever lining up as a traditional edge player. To get him to 65 percent of the workload, that means we have to give him 38 percent (25 snaps) of the straight-up edge snaps.”

Mixing and matching Golston’s position, similar to Carter, Schmeelk concluded that the veteran newcomer would be utilized on 60 percent of snaps, with the rookie at 65 percent alongside Thibodeaux.