NFL Insider Expresses Optimism Giants, Dexter Lawrence Will Resolve Differences

Outside of their potential direction at the No. 5 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, the other major storyline that is waiting to be answered at 1925 Giants Drive is whether the New York Giants and star gap stuffer Dexter Lawrence will make amends on his looming contract situation.

Lawrence, the Giants' three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro defensive tackle, made headlines by reportedly requesting a trade from the organization in light of his displeasure with the way the team's brass has financially valued his place in the positional hierarchy.

Lawrence, who signed a four-year, $90 million extension with the Giants in the 2024 offseason, is now just the league's 12th-highest-paid defensive tackle and is coming off a down season in 2025, where he posted just .5 sacks, 34 pressures, and a 57.0 PFF run defense grade, all of which were the worst markings of his pro career.

Despite those ailing statistics, Lawrence's previous two seasons saw him perform among the highest in his competition at both the pass rush and run response, including his 10-sack campaign in 2024, which he was building before suffering a late elbow injury that put him on IR.

The 28-year-old Lawrence, whose immense size and strength off the line of scrimmage make him a huge problem for most opposing offensive fronts to handle, believes he deserves a new deal commensurate with the impact he has had on the Giants' defense since they made him a first-round selection out of Clemson in 2019.

As the standoff between the Giants and Lawrence remains one of the main discussions around the NFL with the draft drawing closer, SI.com's Albert Breer has more confidence than most that the two parties will work something out to avoid a massive departure and crater in their defense set to be commanded by new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson.

Breer expressed his belief that Lawrence will still be wearing Big Blue and calling MetLife Stadium home by the time the 2026 season arrives.

"Looking back at the history of John Harbaugh and how he and his teams have valued big men on both sides of the ball over the years, it would seem likely that he and GM Joe Schoen and his staff will find a way to keep Lawrence,” Breer said.

Lawrence has $20 million due this year and $22 million due next year. This year, he has an $18.5 million base salary, $500,000 workout bonus (which he’ll forfeit if he continues to skip out on the offseason program), and $1 million in per-game roster bonuses.

In 2027, he has a $2.5 million roster bonus and an $18 million base salary, plus another $500,000 workout bonus and $1 million in per-game roster bonuses.

The Giants will either extend the 28-year-old, who is coming off a bit of a down year, or they will guarantee a portion of his pay and add meaningful incentives.

Will both sides work it out?

As I see it, this shouldn’t be too complicated, and I don’t see the Giants moving Lawrence unless some other team goes way off-script with a trade offer. New York already has the makings of a really good defensive front. No need to mess with that."

To say that Breer hit it on the head with how the Giants should perceive their place in their contract dispute with Lawrence is an understatement.

Lawrence is under contract with the franchise through the 2027 season, and when he put ink to paper on his current agreement two years ago, it was well in line with the top of the defensive tackle market while paying homage to the individual impact he had on their defense that finished 13th in pass rush win rate that fall.

Even though the focal point of their discussions is likely centered around the lack of guaranteed money on the remainder of his deal, it's still a little unreasonable for him to demand to be one of the highest-paid interior defenders right after he was a complete shell of himself and often looked checked out last season.

Oct 9, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) runs onto the field prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Sure, the losing trend that the Giants have been on for most of Lawrence's tenure is understandably frustrating for a player of his caliber, but the ball is in his court.

The Giants have all the leverage right now and should maintain the mindset that they aren't trading Lawrence and expect him to post a rebound 2026 season before investing a ton of future capital to keep him as a defensive centerpiece.

Of course, Joe Schoen will have to acquiesce in some fashion in order to get Lawrence, who is sitting out of the team's early offseason program under new head coach John Harbaugh, back in the building at some point before training camp begins.

Doing that via Breer's suggestion of added incentives makes the most sense for both sides, and the hope is that it will be enough to convince Lawrence to return and get back to work on helping the Giants' revamped defense improve in the run category, where they allowed the highest yards per rush attempt in the entire league in 2025.

The truth is that the mission only gets more difficult if Lawrence is out of the picture, as the defensive interior is very short on depth, which figures to be one of the main priorities for Harbaugh and company in the draft for a coach who has put a premium on winning at the line of scrimmage throughout his illustrious coaching career.

For now, Giants Nation waits in suspense to see whether their franchise's best defensive piece remains the key to the long-term future. If Breer's optimistic update holds water, we should hopefully see Lawrence back with his fellow teammates in East Rutherford if all goes well.

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