New York Giants top pick Kayvon Thibodeaux left Sunday night’s preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a knee injury and will not return.
Thibodeaux went down after getting cut-blocked by Bengals tight end Thaddeus Moss in the second quarter. He immediately grabbed at his right knee.
The cart came out for Thibodeaux, but he got up and walked right past it. The rookie went into the blue medical tent before emerging with a smile and some laughs. He walked the length of the sideline before heading inside with a trainer.
Thibodeaux was the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft out of the University of Oregon. He was having a strong summer and had a quarterback pressure earlier in Sunday’s contest.
The Giants are expecting big things from Thibodeaux this season. He has been working with the first-string defense since the start of OTAs in the spring.
Thibodeaux had 19.0 sacks in 30 career games at Oregon. He went into last season as the potential No. 1 overall prospect in college football.