Kayvon Thibodeaux has mixed emotions with Saquon…
NEW ORLEANS — This is the fourth Super Bowl for Kayvon Thibodeaux.
The similar for Bobby Okereke.
Of course, this doesn’t imply what it sounds prefer it may imply.
The Giants for fairly some time haven’t come close to creating it this far.
Giants defensive lineman Kayvon Thibodeaux is rooting for his outdated teammate, Saquon Barkley, to have a large recreation, but in addition made a level to say, “I hate the Eagles, man.” Bill Kostroun
Thibodeaux and Okereke since 2022 spent time the week main into the massive recreation in Los Angeles; Glendale, Ariz.; Las Vegas; and, for the subsequent few days, the Big Easy — following within the footsteps of so many athletes who attempt to take benefit of the megahype to make some money and construct their model off the sphere.
Fun, proper? Well, yes. And no.
“I hate being here,” Thibodeaux informed The Post on Tuesday. “You attempt to play within the large recreation, man, that is what we do it for. We’re rivals, we wish to win. That’s actually the end-all, be-all, to win, particularly on this group sport.’’
This is an particularly troublesome time to characterize the Giants.
Thibodeaux has been with the franchise for 3 seasons and Okereke two, and neither has skilled a lot success.
The complete deal went from dangerous to worse in 2024.
The Giants gained simply three video games, Thibodeaux missed 5 video games round midseason with a fractured wrist, and Okereke missed the ultimate 5 with a herniated disk in his back.
Everything about touring to the Super Bowl metropolis and becoming a member of within the festivities is ultimately a reminder of why they’re right here. It will not be about soccer, that’s for sure.
“All this interview practice is good, media content, social stuff is great, but at the end of the day, everybody here is celebrating the two teams playing, the Chiefs and the Eagles,” Okereke stated, “and as a competitor, one thing in you needs to be the group celebrating, have that focus on you and be on the largest stage.’’
The Giants don’t get to play on the largest stage.
Their 3-14 document put them off-off-off-off Broadway, removed from the intense lights, buried in NFL darkness.
“When it comes to understanding the heat and the passion of the game, and what it takes for people to be invested in your team and what it takes to earn the respect of fans and just the NFL as a whole, yeah, you do hate being at the bottom,” stated Thibodeaux, who alongside with Okereke was on media row on behalf of Bounty paper towels. “You do really feel a burning need to rise to the highest.’’
The Giants are at or close to the underside.
The Eagles are close to reaching the highest.
That is one other insult the Giants should deal with.
Kayvon Thibodeaux trudges off the sphere following a season-ending loss to the Eagles. Big Blue ended the season a dismal 3-14. Bill Kostroun
Seeing an NFC East rival that has owned them for the previous decade is dangerous enough.
Seeing one of their own, Saquon Barkley, lead the charge, properly, that’s an eyesore, so far as the Giants are involved.
“It’s tough because we all understand this is a business,” Okereke stated. “The satisfaction and love we’ve for being a New York Giant, on the finish of the day we’ve a group proprietor, we’ve a basic supervisor, we’ve a lot of people within the finance division upstairs who deal with the numbers outdoors of the Xs and Os of soccer. So there may be that side of it. We have a lot of love and respect for Saquon, for the management he confirmed when he was a Giant and the performs that he made.’’
Thibodeaux juggled his mixed emotions adroitly.
“I hate the Eagles, man,” he stated. “But on a personal stage, tremendous proud of Saquon, tremendous proud of what he’s been capable of do. I feel everyone has their own trials and tribulations and mountains to climb, and he’s been climbing his, so positively, I’m not rooting for the Eagles, however I’m rooting for him.’’
Barkley ran for two,005 yards in his first season with the Eagles.
He by no means soared that high with the Giants.
Philadelphia Eagles operating back Saquon Barkley (26) runs for on a 78-yard landing run in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams during the fourth quarter in a 2025 NFC divisional spherical recreation. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
“Just thinking about Saquon’s career with the Giants, he had a banged-up team and or not the best team he has now,” Thibodeaux stated. “The Eagles roster is loaded, they obtained a lot of great gamers, they obtained great All-Pros up entrance. When you put a dynamic participant like Saquon on a strong roster with not as many accidents and never as many conditions and all of the expertise round him, he can succeed.’’
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