New York Giants rookie edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux suffered a knee injury – but it may not be as bad as it looked.
In the second quarter on Sunday, the fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft was trying to get around the edge and close the gap on a Cincinnati Bengals run play.
However, Bengal’s tight end Thaddeus Moss delivered a low blow that put Thibodeaux’s knee in an awkward position.
Anytime a player grabs his knee and stays down for a bit there are always fears of a season-ending ACL injury.
But luckily Thibodeaux was able to get up under his own power and turned away a cart.
Thibodeaux was ruled out for the remainder of the game – but the injury at least appears at the moment to be not as bad as it originally looked.
Sports medicine doctor Jesse Morse, who is said to have nine years of experience in the industry, said it looks like an MCL sprain and that the ACL appears to be “spared.”
MCL sprains could take up to four weeks to heal.
But keep in mind that it’s only video and all injuries can be tough to judge without examining the player.
Giants head coach Brian Daboll said after the game that Thibodeaux will undergo further testing today on his knee to determine the severity.
Thibodeaux was seen inside the stadium walking around what appeared to be limp-free.
He was asked by a reporter how he was feeling and Thibodeaux’s response was “I’m good.”
It’s also worth noting that many fans on social media referred to the play as “dirty.”
And some including sports radio host Richard Eisen called for a Moss suspension.
“Well that’s the rules,” Daboll said after getting asked if the play was dirty.
“We do it as well with TEs and FBs going back to the line of scrimmage. So got to do a good job of playing it. It’s a tough block. But whatever the rules are, those are the rules.”
