NFL Rumors: Chiefs & Giants Talking Trade?

ESPN's Ben Solak published a piece this week playing the role of several NFL general managers making hypothetical trade offers for available players, and one of the four exercises had Solak acting as Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach, sending an early Day 3 pick to the New York Giants for Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Kansas City selected cornerback Mansoor Delane and defensive tackle Peter Woods in the first round of the 2026 draft and added edge rusher R. Mason Thomas in the second round, but their pass rush depth behind starters remains a concern.

"I think he's a premier player in the National Football League"

John Harbaugh on Kayvon Thibodeaux pic.twitter.com/MmNqHH0TVD

— Giants Nation Show (@GiantsNationPod) June 9, 2026

Thibodeaux, the fifth overall pick in the 2022 draft, is entering the final year of his rookie deal at a cap number in the mid-tier range for starting edge rushers.

He plays alongside Brian Burns and first-round pick Abdul Carter on a Giants defensive front that has become crowded, creating the conditions that typically produce trade candidates.

What the Giants Actually Think

The problem is that the Giants are not selling.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said on The Insiders that trade possibilities for Thibodeaux stand at slim to none.

"My understanding is the trade possibilities stand from slim to none for Kayvon Thibodeaux," Rapoport said, confirming previous reports that the Giants sought a third-round pick in the 2026 draft for their pass rusher and found no takers at that price.

Giants GM Joe Schoen had received trade calls about Thibodeaux last year and elected to press forward with him, and the organizational position entering 2026 is the same.

"I say something within my family. I say, your mindset has to be bulletproof. When you have a bulletproof mindset, it doesn't really matter how big or how small or how tall. When you have that confidence in the preparation and the work, there's nothing that can take you off that… pic.twitter.com/aZ7J3BwV5o

— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) June 9, 2026

NY Sports Day noted that head coach John Harbaugh has not had nearly enough time to evaluate the edge rotation under live conditions, making a trade of Thibodeaux an unnecessary risk for a first-year coach still installing his defensive system.

Thibodeaux has primarily worked with the second team at OTAs, which shows his repositioned role rather than a phaseout, per OTA observations from multiple reporters.

Schoen's public statement speaks where things seem to stand.

"I expect big things out of him next year with that rotation," Schoen said at the Combine.

Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images