Since becoming the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Kayvon Thibodeaux has developed into one of the New York Giants’ franchise cornerstones. His 11.5 sack season cemented that status, while several other key members of the Giants’ roster experienced struggles that led to a 6-11 record.
There’s no doubt Brian Daboll’s Giants had a disappointing season, and now the front office will have a lot of big decisions to make, with Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley set for free agency, among others. While the Giants have a long offseason ahead, Thibodeaux says the front office, led by GM Joe Schoen, made a big mistake last year during contract negotiations with their key players.
Kayvon Thibodeaux is ‘mad’ New York Giants paid Daniel Jones before Saquon Barkley
The good news is the Giants won’t have to reach new contracts with their starting quarterback and starting running back again this offseason. The bad news is the Giants may have some buyer’s remorse after inking Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract last year. This decision also coincided with placing the franchise tag on Saquon Barkley, leaving the long-term future of the Giants’ running back position in question.
Now, with the former Offensive Rookie of the Year set for free agency, it’s time to address Barkley’s contract again. But one player on the Giants, Kayvon Thibodeaux, says the team should have never been faced with the possibility of losing Barkley again. In fact, Thibodeaux suggested the Giants always should have prioritized locking in Barkley to a long-term extension ahead of re-signing Daniel Jones.
“I believe in Daniel Jones. Tell you what I’m mad at, and it’s the only thing I’ll say about that. What I’m mad about is that Saquon [Barkley], because if you look at the game, the tape, Saquon was responsible for at least 30% of our explosive plays – talking about the year we won the playoff game. So for me and for the integrity of working together and hard work, and we all believe the same things, I feel like Saquon should have got paid first. That’s what I feel.”
Kayvon Thibodeaux on New York Giants’ decision to pay Saquon Barkley over Daniel Jones
Whether you agree with Thibodeaux’s comments or not, his remarks come as a big surprise, as teams typically don’t have their star players making controversial statements about their starting quarterback. Yet, as Thibodeaux pointed out, he still believes in Jones. Yet, that doesn’t mean he’s happy about the possibility of Barkley playing for a new team next season.
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