New York Giants rookie pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux is inching closer to his NFL debut but is playing it very close the vest.
The fifth overall pick in this year’s NFL draft is still recovering from the sprained MCL he suffered in the Giants’ second preseason game last month.
The initial timeframe was ‘three to four weeks’ and Thibodeaux is nearing the far end of that estimate. He spoke to the media on Wednesday with hopes that he could get green-lighted by the Giants’ medical team for this Monday night’s game at home against the Dallas Cowboys.
“I got really involved today, so I really was able to open it up and do some things,” Thibodeaux said after practice. “Today (I) had a lot of progress. Was able to open it up and do a lot of things. So yeah, today I’m definitely confident.”
Thibodeaux said he did not want to play with a brace on his knee but he would if he had to. He is a player who plays with a high motor and has to be frustrated by being relegated to standing on the sidelines as a cheerleader and spectator.
“Nobody wants to be on the sideline, but I think that’s the part of team sport where you really got to be humble,” he said. “And the fact that I can’t win a game; I can’t lose a game. All I can do is contribute to the outcome. So, for me, even when I’m not on the field, just trying to figure out how I can contribute to the guys I’m playing with.”
Hopefully that will change come Monday night.
