The New York Giants ruled out punter Jamie Gillan for Sunday night’s game against Cincinnati, signed veteran Matt Haack to take his place and put outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux on injured reserve to make room on the roster.
Thibodeaux was hurt in Seattle last weekend and had wrist surgery on Wednesday. He will miss the next four games. The 23-year-old had two sacks, three tackles for loss and seven quarterback hits in the first five games.
The Giants drafted Thibodeaux with the No. 5 pick in 2022. Though he only totaled four sacks as a rookie, Thibodeaux found ways to be disruptive, recording 13 QB hits, six tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. He finished fourth in AP Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.
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In his second season, Thibodeaux broke out with a team-high 11.5 sacks, to go along with 16 QB hits, 13 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.
The Giants lead the NFL in sacks through five weeks. Thibodeaux is tied with pass-rusher Brian Burns for third-most sacks on the team this season, behind defensive Dexter Lawrence (6) and safety Jason Pinnock (3).
Gillan was hurt in practice Friday and ruled out on Saturday, meaning the Giants (2-3) had to sign a punter. Haack won a punting competition and was signed to kick against the Bengals (1-4).
New York also elevated wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins and running back Dante Miller from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.
Earlier Saturday, the Giants downgraded running back Devin Singletary (groin) and wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton (shoulder) to out. They had been listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report.
Haack spent his first four seasons with the Miami Dolphins after signing as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He played for the Buffalo Bills in 2021, where he overlapped with current Giants coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen. Haack played all 17 games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 before playing one game with the Cleveland Browns in 2023.
In 99 career games, Haack has punted the ball 432 times, averaging 44.5 yards, with 160 punts inside the 20.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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