The John Harbaugh honeymoon phase as the New York Giants head coach came to a screeching halt on Monday.
News broke on Monday that Pro Bowl nose tackle Dexter Lawrence requested a trade from the Giants, with his current contract being the main reason he wants out of New York. The former first-round pick has two years and $40 million left on his deal, which he signed with the Giants during the 2023 offseason, and with the team slated to begin their offseason workouts this week, Lawrence, of course, will be a no-show.
While it is too early to determine what will happen between the two sides, whether it be that Lawrence will eventually cave and arrive at camp this summer, or he signs a new deal, or perhaps does get traded, this was not the news Giants fans wanted to hear, especially with their already successful offseason that started out landing the aforementioned Harbaugh.
But with this trade saga not going anywhere soon, former defensive end and current ESPN analyst Damien Woody offered his blunt assessment on how this may unfold.
Damien Woody predicts Dexter Lawrence saga will become massive problem for Giants
During an appearance on ESPN, Woody predicts Lawrence's trade request could be a "thorn" in the Giants' side as the offseason rolls on:
"This is not how you want to deal with your offseason program when one of your best defensive players asks for a trade, " Woody said. "Dexter Lawrence is one of the best defensive tackles in the league, and yes, he did have a down year last year, but if you ask any offensive lineman out there about Dexter Lawrence, they will tell you consistently that he's one of the best. He's big and he's a pass rusher inside that what makes him unique for his size, he's able rush the passer, so hopefully the Giants can get this thing figured out."
This is a complicated situation for the Giants to navigate. While Lawrence has been everything they could have hoped for since being drafted 17th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, the 28-year-old had a disappointing season last year, racking up just half a sack in all 17 games. Lawrence has also gone 22 straight games, dating back to the 2024 season, without a full sack.
Even though Lawrence’s season-ending injury in Week 12 during the 2024 season may have contributed to his poor performance this past season, a lack of effort that was seen at many points in 2025 is also deemed a factor.
It will take quite some time to see what happens between the two sides. But as Damien Woody put it, he still values Dexter Lawrence as an elite pass rusher in the NFL and hopes something gets hashed out sooner rather than later.