New York Giants Defensive Tackle Dexter Lawrence Responds To Franchise Legend
New York Giants Defensive Tackle Dexter Lawrence isn’t one to mince words, and he made that crystal clear Wednesday when addressing comments from Giants legend Carl Banks. The three-time Pro Bowler didn’t just dismiss the criticism—he went straight for the jugular, calling the two-time Super Bowl champion “delusional.”
Banks, now a radio analyst for the team, lit the fuse earlier this week during his Bleav in Giants podcast with play-by-play announcer Bob Papa. His assessment of Lawrence’s 2025 season? Brutal doesn’t even begin to cover it. “Dexter Lawrence, nobody respects you anymore. Nobody,” Banks said. “The pre-injury Dexter is not there in their heads. They don’t respect you.”
Those are fighting words, especially coming from someone who roams the Giants’ facility regularly. Lawrence clearly felt blindsided by the public callout rather than a private conversation.
The Numbers Tell a Different Story
Here’s the thing about Lawrence’s 2025 campaign—it’s been quiet, sure, but context matters. Through eight games, he’s tallied half a sack, four quarterback hits, 20 tackles, and an interception. Compare that to last season’s dominance before his dislocated elbow ended things early: nine sacks, 44 tackles, and 16 quarterback hits through 12 games.
But let’s pump the brakes before declaring Lawrence washed. According to NFL+, he’s being double-teamed on a league-high 61.2% of his pass rushes this season. That is the second straight year he’s led the NFL in that dubious honor. Last year? A staggering 64.6% double-team rate.
The Respect Factor
Lawrence pushed back hard against the notion that opponents don’t respect him anymore. And honestly, the double-team numbers back him up. You don’t dedicate two offensive linemen to a guy you don’t respect—that’s just Football 101.
“I don’t really know what he’s watching,” Lawrence said. “He can say what he wants. I’m gonna keep doing what I’m doing, trying to help us get a win.”
His defensive line coach, Andre Patterson, went to bat for his star player weeks ago when these whispers first started circulating. “Call our opponents. Call everybody we play and ask them if Dexter Lawrence is still playing like Dexter Lawrence,” Patterson said. “There’s no other D-lineman in this league that gets as many double-teams as he does. Not even close.”
Patterson has a point worth emphasizing: When Lawrence is eating up two blockers, that frees up Edge Rusher Brian Burns, who’s currently tied for the NFL lead with 10 sacks. Coincidence? Not likely.
The Elbow Question
One elephant in the room: Is Lawrence still dealing with the effects of last season’s dislocated left elbow? The injury, which happened on Thanksgiving Day against the Cowboys, ended what was shaping up to be a career year.
Lawrence shut down that speculation immediately. “My elbow is fine,” he said. “Check the numbers.” He’s not using it as an excuse, and he doesn’t want anyone else to either. Fair enough.
The In-House Drama
What makes this situation particularly awkward is Banks’ role with the organization. He’s not some talking head on national TV throwing bombs from a safe distance. He’s there. In the building. Around the players.
Middle Linebacker Bobby Okereke tried to give Banks the benefit of the doubt, suggesting maybe it was a “coded message” to light a fire under Lawrence. But even he seemed puzzled by the approach.
“For a guy who works in-house, it doesn’t take much to find a guy and have a conversation with him one-on-one or get his phone number and call him,” Okereke said. That’s the real head-scratcher here. If Banks genuinely wanted to help Lawrence elevate his game, why not pull him aside? Why air it out on a podcast where it’s guaranteed to blow up?
Looking Ahead
The Giants are drowning in mediocrity at 2-6, marking the eighth time in nine seasons they’ve started either 1-7 or 2-6 after eight games. Their schedule doesn’t get any easier, with five straight opponents sporting winning records starting with Sunday’s home game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Lawrence maintains he’s playing disruptive football even if the stat sheet doesn’t always reflect it. Pressure rates and sack totals don’t capture everything a defensive tackle does, especially one commanding double teams on three out of every four snaps.
“Numbers are not everything—I’ve been an advocate over that last year, the year before that, the year before that,” Lawrence said. “They are just something on the stat sheet. I think the way I play is disruptive, and you have people I play against that tell you the same thing.”
Still, perception matters in the NFL. Lawrence knows it. Banks knows it. And if this controversy lights a fire under the 27-year-old defensive tackle, maybe Banks’ public criticism will prove prescient after all—just not in the way he intended.
For now, though, Lawrence is making one thing abundantly clear: He’s not backing down, he’s not making excuses, and he definitely thinks Banks needs to rewatch some tape. “Let’s say this,” Lawrence added with a knowing smile. “I hope people start trying to disrespect me.”
