NFL insider predicts how Giants, Dexter Lawrence II trade request saga will end

Just about every in-the-know individual who has reported on New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II going public with a trade request earlier this month has said that it is believed the Giants will eventually work something out to hold onto Lawrence through at least the start of the 2026 season. 

For a piece published on Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated offered a prediction regarding how the latest saga involving the Giants and Lawrence will end. 

Why Giants may ultimately make this Dexter Lawrence II decision

"I think Dexter Lawrence II will remain a Giant," Breer wrote. "Looking back at the history of (new Giants head coach) John Harbaugh and how he and his teams have valued big men on both sides of the ball over the years, it would seem likely that he and (general manager) Joe Schoen and his staff will find a way to keep Lawrence."

It's no secret that Harbaugh and not Schoen will almost certainly make the final call on whether the club trades Lawrence before training camp practices get underway later this summer. Meanwhile, Lawrence reportedly is looking for a bump in pay compared to what he is owed per the four-year, $90M contract extension he signed in the spring of 2023.

"Lawrence has $20M due this year and $22M due next year," Breer continued. "This year, he has an $18.5M base salary, $500,000 workout bonus and $1M in per-game roster bonuses; next year, he has a $2.5M roster bonus and an $18M base salary, plus another $500,000 workout bonus and $1M in per-game roster bonuses." 

How Giants could make Dexter Lawrence II happy

Breer added that he believes the Giants will either sign Lawrence to another contract extension or "guarantee a portion of his pay and add meaningful incentives" to ensure that the 28-year-old shows up for work when the mandatory portion of the offseason program begins in June. 

"This shouldn’t be too complicated," Breer explained, "and I don’t see the Giants moving Lawrence unless some other team goes way off-script with a trade offer." 

That team could become a Green Bay Packers side that was linked with Lawrence last week. Whether or not the Packers would pay the Giants' alleged asking price for Lawrence is unknown, but it sounds like he will once again be wearing a Big Blue jersey when regular-season games start back up in September.