In a season that has been an abject disaster for the New York Giants, they lost arguably their best player. New York Giants Defensive Tackle Dexter Lawrence suffered a dislocated elbow in the third quarter of yesterday’s 27-20 loss on the road to the Dallas Cowboys. It was announced earlier today that this injury would sideline Lawrence for the rest of the regular season as he will not be suiting up until 2025. He said after the game that he dislocated his elbow, and an MRI today confirmed Lawrence’s diagnosis. He had a solid game on Thanksgiving Day with 3 total tackles before his day, and season, ended prematurely.
Lawrence was having the best year of his career for a New York Giants squad that has had nothing go their way this season. Lawrence had 44 tackles and 9 sacks(tied for sixth-best in the league) this season. The star defensive player signed a four-year $90 million contract extension with the New York Giants in March of 2023. Lawrence was the anchor of a New York defense that is 17th in yards allowed per game, fifth in sacks, and 18th in points allowed per game. How will the New York defense fare without their best player?
Dexter Lawrence Career Summary
#Giants potential defensive player of the year Dexter Lawrence, who suffered a dislocated elbow in the loss to the #Cowboys, is expected to miss the rest of the season, with Brian Daboll saying it’s “long-term.”
With 5 games to go, Lawrence has no choice but to look to 2025. pic.twitter.com/fQ68G3lZ7v
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 29, 2024
Lawrence has been one of the best defense linemen in the National Football League since he was drafted out of Clemson University 17th overall by the New York Giants in the 2019 NFL Draft. He is a two-time Pro Bowler(2022, 2023) was named Second-Team All-Pro, and finished ninth in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season. Lawrence has 310 total tackles and 30 career sacks.
Final Thoughts
The New York Giants are in freefall, and their issues started during the offseason. The team decided not to re-sign Running Back Saquon Barkley. The football world got to see on “Hard Knocks” the conversations between General Manager Joe Schoen and Co-Owner John Mara about New York’s plans regarding Barkley. It seemed like Schoen did not want Barkley while Mara wanted him to return. Ultimately, Schoen got his way.
Barkley would sign with the rival Philadelphia Eagles and revitalize his career with a hated rival. Barkley is leading the league in rushing yards, and carries, and is tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns. New York also mismanaged the Daniel Jones situation. The QB was demoted to third-string as New York looked to avoid paying Jones an injury guarantee following the season. Jones asked for his release and signed with the Minnesota Vikings earlier this week.
New York has 10 days to get things settled before hosting the New Orleans Saints on December 8. The defense has struggled at times this season, and without Lawrence, things will not get any easier. One of the few positives for New York is they now have the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft as they look to reboot the franchise.
