EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — New York Giants top pick Kayvon Thibodeaux is unlikely to play in his first career game Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
Thibodeaux, who has been dealing with a knee injury, is officially listed as doubtful for the season opener. He was extremely limited at practice throughout the week.
The fifth-overall pick in this year’s draft sprained the MCL in his right knee in the second preseason game. He was expected to miss 3-4 weeks, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Sunday is exactly three weeks from when the injury occurred.
Edge rusher Azeez Ojulari (calf) is also doubtful as the Giants try to win a season opener for the first time since 2016. That also happens to be the last time they made the playoffs.
Thibodeaux and Ojulari were seen at practice for the first time since their injuries this week. They did not do any running during the periods of practice that were open to the media.
“I’d say whatever we’ve asked them to do in the rehab process, they’ve been doing,” coach Brian Daboll said, declining to say if they had opened up and really tested their injuries before Friday’s practice. “I don’t think there’s any setbacks with that. Again, we’ll give them a couple of days here to figure that out.”
Thibodeaux said earlier this week he was feeling “better.” The Giants and Thibodeaux both kept considering it a day-to-day situation.
It seems highly unlikely that the Giants would rush their top pick or Ojulari, a second-round pick last year, on the field for the season opener. They have proceeded with extreme caution with injuries this spring and summer.
New York will likely have to turn to veteran Jihad Ward and Oshane Ximines to start on Sunday against running back Derrick Henry and the Titans. Edge rusher Quincy Roche is also expected to be activated from the practice squad.
Thibodeaux was hurt on Aug. 21 in the second preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He went down after a cut block from Bengals tight end Thaddeus Moss.
Thibodeaux, 21, was the Giants’ first of two selections in the first round of this year’s draft out of the University of Oregon. He is expected to play a significant role in coordinator Wink Martindale’s defense.
The explosive pass rusher was working with the first-team defense as far back as the beginning of the spring.
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