The New York Giants do not have to cave into Dexter Lawrence.
Earlier this month, New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence requested a trade as a result of being dissatisfied with his contract.
Lawrence is under contract for two more years, but he has no more guaranteed money coming to him. Obviously, that is a point of contention.
The Giants have attempted to work things out with Lawrence, but contract talks have apparently reached an impasse, which has many assuming that New York will now trade the three-time Pro Bowler.
But that's not necessarily the case.
Connor Hughes of SNY has provided an update on the Lawrence situation, and he essentially stated that the Clemson product doesn't really have any leverage.
"He wants a new deal that reflects the current IDL market. If not, a trade," Hughes posted on X. "There is not an insane push from the #Giants. From their perspective: He’s under contract for two more seasons. They will try to come to a resolution that works for both, but they don’t have to do anything."
New York Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence. Credit: Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.Hughes is right. Lawrence signed a four-year, $90 million extension with New York back in May 2023, knowing full well that the final two seasons of his deal were non-guaranteed. As I've said previously, he signed the contract; he agreed to it.
Whether or not the pact is fair to him can surely be debated, but the fact of the matter is that Lawrence had no issue signing on the dotted line at the time.
"This is not a situation where they’ll take the best of whatever trade offers they get," Hughes added. "This is very similar to the #Jets-Quinnen Williams deal at the trade deadline. Williams requested a trade 3x, wanting his contract reworked. NYJ were not moving him until they got an offer they couldn’t refuse from Dallas (2026 2, 2027 1, Mazi Smith)."
So, basically, the Giants will field trade offers for Lawrence, but they don't feel like they are under any pressure to strike a deal. If an appealing package surfaces, New York will pull the trigger. If not, it will hold on to Lawrence.
Yes, Lawrence can hold out of the Giants' offseason program, including training camp, but at some point, the former first-round pick will have to return to the field.
Again, he is under contract for two more years. He can't just sit out the 2026 regular season, especially not after the subpar campaign he just had. It would destroy his career.
Big Blue actually has all of the leverage here, although New York surely wants to get this resolved it doesn't sabotage the locker room.
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