Giants' Dexter Lawrence Has Mixed Feelings About Daniel Jones Getting Benched

Lawrence toed the line when asked about Jones's recent demotion.

Dexter Lawrence, Will Hernandez, and Daniel Jones celebrate following a touchdown pass in 2019. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence offered a measured but nonetheless candid response when asked Tuesday about his team's decision to bench struggling quarterback Daniel Jones.

"It's tough," Lawrence told The Athletic's Charlotte Carroll while working a charity event. "That's my best friend. It's tough for that to happen."

Jones's demotion comes amid a 2–8 start for the Giants, who will now be turning to Tommy DeVito (and controversially bypassing backup Drew Lock) as their starter. The highly-memeable DeVito, known for his mobster-esque agent and shacking up at his parents' place, started six games last season, while Jones and then-backup Tyrod Taylor were both injured. The Giants announced the consequential shake-up on Monday.

"I can't control it," Lawrence continued, regarding the benching. "They made the decision based off their evaluations and thoughts and feelings. You've got to respect it as a player even though you don't like it."

"As a human and as a brother, I feel for him," he added.

We also spoke to Dexter Lawrence about the #giants QB change. Here’s what he had to say:

“They made the decision based off their evaluations and thoughts and feelings. You’ve got to respect it as a player even though you don’t like it.”

More to come @TheAthletic pic.twitter.com/GaXI2RSdHW

— Charlotte Carroll (@charlottecrrll) November 19, 2024

Still, "I got a lot of respect for [DeVito],” Lawrence told Carroll. “He has probably the most charisma and confidence I’ve ever seen in a third-string quarterback. That’s good. I respect him for that. He knows who he is, and that’s strong as a person.”

We'll get a taste of what else New York has in store when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium this Sunday.

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