EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- It took a while, but Dexter Lawrence II has finally reached his boiling point. The veteran defensive tackle requested a trade Monday, multiple sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
If the New York Giants looked closely at Lawrence over these past few seasons, they could have seen this coming. He appeared unhappy as the Giants limped to a 7-27 record over the past two seasons, all while watching close friends like Leonard Williams and Saquon Barkley leave for greener pastures and go on to win Super Bowls.
The Giants put a Band-Aid on Lawrence's contract situation last offseason by adding a potential $3 million in incentives to the $17 million he was owed. This offseason they have been reluctant, at least publicly, to significantly alter his $20 million salary for 2026.
The $20 million would place him 10th among all defensive tackles this year, according to the Roster Management System.
So Lawrence now wants out after one of his worst professional seasons, at least statistically. He had just 31 tackles and 0.5 sacks, the lowest totals of his career, in 17 games.
Yet the Giants can't just move on even if a strong trade offer lands in their lap. They've made moves this offseason based on the assumption that Lawrence would be a key piece to their defense. They were planning on him making a significant impact.