New York Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux does not understand his organization’s thought process when it comes to how it prioritizes its money. In doing so, he threw some shade on Daniel Jones.
It wasn’t intentional. Thibodeaux was speaking on a more holistic level, from a 30,000-foot view, but his quarterback definitely caught a stray.
The 23-year-old believes that the Giants should have paid Saquon Barkley first. He spoke those exact words to Carmelo Anthony and The Kid Mero on the ‘7PM in Brooklyn’ podcast.
Their discussion actually began with a very positive showing of support for Jones. Thibodeaux said that he still believes in his quarterback despite his brutal showing during the 2023 NFL season.
Mero then chimed in with a comment about the four-year, $160 million contract that Jones received back in September. He noted that a lot of people were (and are) mad about the deal.
At that point, Thibodeaux offered his two cents about Daniel Jones getting paid big money on a long-term contract while Barkley played on a one-year deal. His frustration is not with his quarterback getting paid. It stems from the order in which the two backfieldmates received got paid.
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
Although Thibodeaux was not directly criticizing Jones for lackluster play, and stood in support, his opinion alludes to the idea that the fifth-year signal-caller did not deserve the massive contract. Certainly not before Barkley, who was the primary catalyst for the offense.
No matter how you spin it, or how positive Thibodeaux was trying to be toward his quarterback, Jones surely can’t appreciate what he said. You can’t hear those comments and think “oh, great!”
Even if he’s right…
Thibodeaux’s opinion on priorities within the Giants organization reflect a larger trend throughout the NFL. Running backs aren’t getting paid. Quarterbacks are worth more than ever.
Even if Thibodeaux disagrees, which he clearly does, it would have been better to keep that one inside.