Giants DL Dexter Lawrence II Offers Encouraging Review of New Defensive Coordinator Charlie Bullen

Bullen takes over the defensive reins this week as the Giants face the New England Patriots.

November 28, 2025 - New York Giants defensive coordinator Charlie Bullen addresses the media. | Patricia Traina | New York Giants On SI

New York Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence has been around long enough to know that the NFL is, in his words, “a weird business” when it comes to the comings and goings of coaches.

So when interim head coach Mike Kafka relieved defensive coordinator Shane Bowen of his duties earlier this week and replaced him with outside linebackers coach Charlie Bullen, Lawrence admitted it was a “weird” situation.

But it’s business as usual for the Giants' defense, which hopes to better produce and finish out games, something that it wasn’t able to do much of this year under Bowen’s leadership.   

“He's been around the defense, so we've heard his voice, and he's talked,” Lawrence said of having Bullen now leading the way. 

“Different seeing him up front, leading the whole group, but it's been a smooth transition, I guess you could say. He's not going outside of the box, anything else type of thing. So, I like the game plan, I'm excited for it, and I'm ready to go.”

Lawrence struggled to hold his tongue when asked about Bowen’s dismissal, saying, “I don’t know. That’s all I’m going to say. I don’t know. I guess you don’t have to, but you have to do something, but I don't know.”

But what he does know is that there’s no looking back and no time for regrets. 

“It's just more about what's the plan, and let's attack the plan, and let's have a plan,” he said.

One of the more notable things that Lawrence has observed about Bullen thus far is that he’s keeping things simple, something that one might argue wasn’t always the case under Bowen.

“He's allowing the guys just to fly around and be players, he's teaching that aggressiveness, that defensive swag that we should have,” Lawrence said. 

“Even with five games left, just playing with your all, playing for each other, and showing that you are not going to quit on your guys and just keep playing.”

Whether that translates into better results remains to be seen. Lawrence, who did not receive an injury designation despite aggravating the same elbow that last season cut short his 2024 campaign, is ready to roll.

“I've been hitting recovery hard, so I feel good,” he said.  

What happens next with the NY Giants? Find out! Follow and like us on Facebook. Visit our YouTube channel for the latest videos. Want to send a question in for our mailbag? You can do so here.