Giants star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has requested a trade and will not participate in the team’s offseason workout program beginning Tuesday, per CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones.
Lawrence, 28, is entering the third year of a four-year, $90 million extension he signed in May 2023. At the time, the deal gave him the third-largest contract on a per-year basis ($22.5 million AAV) among interior defensive linemen, trailing only Aaron Donald and Jeffery Simmons. Now, however, that $22.5 million figure is tied for 11th at the position.
Lawrence’s extension followed a breakout 2022 campaign in which he recorded 7.5 sacks and earned second-team All-Pro honors. He repeated that recognition in 2023, and in 2024, he was again a Pro Bowler after posting career highs with nine sacks and eight tackles for loss.
In 2025, however, Lawrence managed just a half-sack despite playing all 17 games for the first time in his career. His 31 tackles were also a career low. He still ranked 11th among interior defensive linemen in Pro Football Focus grades, though it marked a significant drop-off from 2022-24, when he ranked second, first and third.
In October, former Giants star Carl Banks, now a team radio analyst, sharply criticized Lawrence, saying “nobody respects you anymore.” Lawrence fired back, noting how often he is double-teamed and calling Banks “delusional.”
Lawrence remains one of the game’s most disruptive interior forces, and his displeasure presents a notable early challenge for John Harbaugh in his first year with New York. On paper, the Giants have a talented defensive front, with Lawrence alongside Brian Burns (16.5 sacks, second-team All-Pro in 2025), 2025 first-round pick Abdul Carter and 2022 first-round pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. However, New York allowed a league-worst 5.3 yards per rush and finished 17th in sack rate in 2025. Harbaugh also brought in Dennard Wilson as the…
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