With nasal device Dexter Lawrence on injured reserve (IR) and likely out for the season, the New York Giants are down to two team captains – linebacker Bobby Okereke and long snapper Casey Kreiter.
It's unclear who will take the lead over the final five weeks, but edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux has a few theories about how things will play out.
Specifically, Thibodeaux says people who aren't making plays need to keep their lips shut and let the productive players do the talking instead.
“Well, if you ask me from a real perspective, in my personal opinion this is not a long league. So when you tell people you have to wait until a certain amount of time has passed to become a leader, it's a bit like smoke and mirrors because the average is only three years. So how long do you expect a great player to come in and say nothing? “It’s kind of unrealistic,” he told reporters on Monday.
“Of course we hope that speaking and everything else is encouraging and for the good of the team. But when I came in I was faced with the same questions as (Malik) Nabers a few weeks ago. But I am someone who believes this is a meritocracy. So when you do plays, you have a voice. If you don't make plays, you have no voice. That's the name of the company. So I would advise the young people coming in to continue to make plays first and then make an impact in leadership.”
So will it be Thibodeaux who steps into the spotlight as locker room leader? He didn't think much about it.
“I don't think about it. I just continue to live in my light. And if there are people that I can help personally or if there is a way to encourage my teammates, then I try,” he said.
Linebacker Micah McFadden echoes Thibodeaux's locker room meritocracy theory and echoes his comments.
“There’s definitely a balance there. The more you produce, the bigger your voice is. Guys listen to the leaders and the people who lead from the front, do their jobs and perform at a high level,” McFadden said. “I think, especially in the last few years as I've gotten more experience and playing time, I feel like I have a bigger voice, especially in our linebacker room. And also in the defensive area. I just point things out and if there are younger people, I can help them along the way.”
But veteran wide receiver Darius Slayton sees things a little differently, leaving the door open for whoever comes in and takes over in the absence of the team's top captains.
“We try to have the same mentality you have when playing. They have a “next man up” mentality and obviously no one is excluded from leadership. If you do the right thing, lead by example and encourage and take people along, then anyone can lead,” he said.
The Giants don't seem to agree on anything these days, but in the absence of Lawrence, left tackle Andrew Thomas and the recently released Daniel Jones, they need to come together and find a solution. You can't keep calm in the last five weeks of the season.
