Dexter Lawrence’s move out of New York has worked out for both sides, and his latest comments only sharpened that point.
The Giants are off to their best stretch in years under John Harbaugh, sitting atop the NFC East at 4-2-1 while the rest of the division stumbles around them. They’ve done it without Lawrence, the defensive tackle who pushed for a trade this offseason and was dealt to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 10th overall pick.
That pick turned into offensive guard Francis Mauigoa, who has been incredible this season.
Lawrence, meanwhile, is thriving in Cincinnati. The Bengals beat the Tennessee Titans 43-36 in overtime this past weekend to move to 5-2, and Lawrence was all over the field with seven total tackles, one tackle for loss, one quarterback hit, one sack and one fumble recovery.
After the game, he was asked about playing “meaningful football games” with the Bengals, and his answer carried a clear edge when viewed through the lens of his time in New York.
“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 were already frustrated with how Lawrence handled his exit probably won’t love that line. He’s right that Cincinnati is playing meaningful games. The part he left hanging is that the Giants are, too.
What makes the split look even cleaner is that New York is winning despite a pile of absences. Jaxson Dart, Brian Burns and Tremaine Edmunds are all done for the season, but Harbaugh has the roster buying in and grinding out results anyway.
There’s also been enough production from the replacement plan to soften the blow. D.J. Reader, brought in to help fill the void left by Lawrence, has posted 17 solo tackles, 15 defensive stops and eight total pressures, including six quarterback hurries and two quarterback hits.
The Giants have also kept working the defensive line market. Harbaugh reached out to the Tennessee Titans about Jeffery Simmons before Simmons was traded to the Chicago Bears, and it remains to be seen whether New York will chase another defensive tackle at the trade deadline.
Lawrence had the kind of athletic profile that made him one of the league’s top defensive tackles, but his Giants years were spent on teams that weren’t built to win and under coaching staffs that couldn’t get them there. Even the fan relationship has cooled, with some upset that he never sent the customary “thank you, fans” letter after leaving.
For now, though, both sides are moving on. Lawrence is playing winning football in Cincinnati.
The Giants are winning without him. And the trade that sent him out of New York looks like one of those rare deals where nobody is left pretending they lost.
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