When he’s not fighting with New York Giants legend Carl Banks, Dexter Lawrence is breaking opposing offensive linemen’s will. At least, he used to.
2025 hasn't exactly been the best season for anyone donning Giants blue, but there arguably hasn't been a bigger disappointment than the three-time Pro Bowler. After his stellar 2024 campaign was cut short due to a dislocated elbow, he just hasn't been the same since. And this season has made that more obvious than ever before.
Related: Dexter Lawrence just made trade stance clear after another ugly Giants loss
Lawrence has played in 12 games, recording 10 tackles, two for loss, and a measly 0.5 sacks. It surely hasn't been the follow-up season anyone was imagining after setting new career highs in sacks (9.0) and tackles for loss (eight). It's been a weird year -- so weird, in fact, that Logan Ulrich of NFL Trade Rumors listed the 28-year-old as a potential cap casualty heading into 2026 free agency.
That’d be a terrible idea for general manager Joe Schoen and Co.
Giants cutting Dexter Lawrence would take foolish to a whole new level
Ulrich’s reasoning leans on Sexy Dexy’s lack of statistical production, essentially arguing the Giants would be better off cutting ties with their longtime defensive anchor than keeping him on the roster. He wrote:
"Lawrence being on this list might seem surprising at first, but his production has taken a major step back this year, with just half a sack and nine solo tackles on the season. He’s made more headlines for feuding with team legend Carl Banks than anything he’s done on the field. Lawrence is due $20 million in cash next year, and that would be a lot for the Giants to give up for another year of this version of Lawrence."
To say cutting the seventh-year pro is crazy would be the understatement of the century. Sure, his boxscore numbers aren't great, even still, the thought of releasing him outright to pick up $13 million in cap space is... interesting.
Who is Schoen bringing in for $13 million that has anywhere close to the impact Dex can still bring? And what if this is just a down year for the 6-foot-4, 340-pound behemoth? Do Giants fans really trust their GM to replace him with someone better?
Schoen’s 2025 free-agent spending spree has aged like milk -- Chauncey Golston, Paulson Adebo, Russell Wilson, Jevón Holland. So what’s that cap space actually going to buy?
Lawrence is still under contract for $90 million after signing a four-year extension in May 2023. According to Pro Football Focus, he ranks as the 12th-best interior defensive lineman among 128 eligible players, and he’s getting paid like the 11th-best. The math is mathing.
I think we can all agree that Giants fans want to see more from Sexy Dexy. But if cutting everyone who’s underwhelmed was the answer, they’d be fielding a three-man roster. Moving on from the former Clemson standout is technically an option, but right now, it feels like way too much of an overcorrection. Cutting Lawrence would be organizational malpractice to a laughable extent.