The New York Giants are in the process of having their most enjoyable season in recent memory. Let's face it, the bar is low, considering the disasters the team had to deal with. It certainly doesn't help that the coaching hires the team have made since parting ways with Tom Coughlin back in 2015 failed to pan out.
However, 2026 has been a significant step in the right direction after they hired John Harbaugh to be their head coach. A proven, winning coach proved to be exactly what the Giants needed, as they are winning games they would have lost years ago, while players have stepped up considerably. As a result, the Giants sit in first place in the NFC East with a 4-2-1 record. What makes it even better is that the rest of the NFC East is a disaster, making their path to the playoffs clearer and easier.
They are doing so without defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, who demanded a trade off of the team this offseason. Even with Harbaugh entering the organization, Lawrence still wanted out, and the GIants got the 10th overall pick in return after a trade to the Cincinnati Bengals.
And, this past weekend, Lawrence took a dig at his tenure with the Giants.
Dexter Lawrence takes shot at Giants tenure after Bengals' OT win over Titans
The Bengals defeated the Tennessee Titans 43-36 in overtime to improve to 5-2 on the season. Lawrence had a big game, recording seven total tackles, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit, one sack, and one fumble recovery.
After the game, Lawrence was asked about playing "meaningful football games" with the Bengals. Lawrence said it's been "great," while mentioning his tenure with the Giants, albeit indirectly.
"It's great. I haven't done that in some years," said Lawrence. "It feels good and increases my intensity every week to prepare to win."
Giants fans who weren't thrilled about how Lawrence handled his departure from New York won't like that quote. He's playing meaningful games with the Bengals, yes. But so are the Giants, and they are doing so without him.
It was pretty surprising when fans found out that Lawrence didn't want to stick around with the Giants with his first, legitimately good head coach in Harbaugh. With his request, Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen said it was best to just move on from him altogether. Luckily for them, the Bengals offered the 10th overall pick, which they then used on offensive guard Francis Mauigoa, who has been incredible this season.
Lawrence showed he was one of the top defensive tackles in the game due in part to his freakish athleticism. Unfortunatley for him, the Giants rosters constructed during his time were not the greatest, and they didn't have coaching staffs capable of leading the team to wins.
Also, there is a section of the Giants fanbase who aren't too happy that Lawrence never sent out a "thank you, fans" letter that is customary to players who get traded elsewhere.c
Giants and Dexter Lawrence are both better off after offseason split
While it's easy to be bitter about Lawrence, the Giants are doing just fine without him.
First off, the Giants are winning games, which is a miracle considering they are without quarterback Jaxson Dart, defensive end Brian Burns, and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Even with these players done for the season, Harbaugh has gotten the players to buy in and are playing their hardest to win for the team. As a result, the Giants are sitting in first place in the division with relative ease.
Then, there's the fact that D.J. Reader, who the Giants signed to replace Lawrence is playing well. This season, Reader recorded 17 solo tackles, 15 defensive stops, and eight total pressures (six quarterback hurries, two quarterback hits).
That hasn't stopped the Giants from trying to push their defensive line over the edge, especially considering Harbaugh contacted the Tennessee Titans about Jeffery Simmons before his trade to the Chicago Bears. it will remain to be seen if the team will try to bring in a defensie tackle at the trade deadline.
As for Lawrence, he's playing winning football on a team with an elite quarterback in a tough division. We'll see if the Bengals can hold on and make it back to the playoffs.
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