Giants star: Negative headlines about me are getting ‘old’

Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux doesn’t want recognition.

On Tuesday, the former first-rounder took to social media to encourage fans to move on from old negative headlines about him — he’s a changed man.

“Thanks for all the recognition but I’m not a victim and ‘prove people wrong’ narratives are old,” Thibodeaux wrote, via X. “I’m playing good football and constantly getting better. Let’s stop hanging on to old headlines.”

Drafted fifth overall by the Giants in 2022, Thibodeaux placed fourth in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting after recording 49 tackles and four sacks on 18 pressures in 14 games. This season, he’s shown improvement, recording 44 tackles and 11.5 sacks, sixth in the NFL, on 31 pressures in 13 games.

Thibodeaux has matured a lot since last season, which showed him doing a snow-angel celebration after he sacked then-Colts quarterback Nick Foles, who suffered a season-ending rib injury on the play.

“People can say anything about anything, so I’m not too worried about what people say,” Thibodeaux said at the time. “I know the intent. I play this game to be successful and the only way I’m successful is if I take down the quarterback. That’s what I get paid to do and that’s what I did, and celebrations are legal in football, so I celebrated.”

Issues like these are in the past, says Thibodeaux, who dropped a potential pick-six against the Commanders in October and owned it.

Commanders quarterback Sam Howell backed up against the Washington goal line, was hit and threw the ball towards a wide-open Thibodeaux. But the linebacker dropped the interception, which he could have easily returned for a touchdown to extend the 14-7 lead.

“Man, it went from an interception to a punt return,” Thibodeaux said, via Bridget Hyland of NJ Advance Media. “I saw the open grass, and I saw the blockers, and I looked up and it just hit me in the stomach. But yeah we gotta get back, I’m weak for that, I know.”