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New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II has reportedly requested a trade and won't participate in the team's first offseason workouts under newly hired head coach John Harbaugh set to start on Tuesday (April 7), sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday (April 6).
"ESPN sources: Giants All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has requested a trade and he will not be participating in the team’s off-season workout program that opens Tuesday. Lawrence and the Giants have been through two off seasons attempting to negotiate a contract reflecting his value to the Giants over the last three years, but there has not been any progress, per sources," Schefter wrote on his X account. "Dexter Lawrence has two years remaining on his deal and is currently scheduled to make $20 million this upcoming season. Initially there had been optimism that with changes in the organization, discussions could move forward. But now that they haven’t, new Giants head coach John Harbaugh will open his team’s off-season program Tuesday without one of his best players."
Harbaugh, who was hired in January, had previously discussed Lawrence's importance to the Giants' success in February.
"How important is he? Really important," Harbaugh said via ESPN. "He's super, super important. He's a cornerstone football player -- not really a cornerstone, more like the middle stone. He's right in the middle. He's a very big stone, and he's a very active, athletic one."
Lawrence, who signed a $90 million extension in 2023, was selected by the Giants at No. 17 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. The former Clemson standout is a three-time Pro Bowler and a two-time second-team All-Pro, but is coming off a season in which he recorded career lows for tackles (31), sacks (0.5) and QB hits (8) in 2025.