Even though the New York Giants have been one of the worst teams in the NFL, one of their best moves was drafting defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence.
Despite things looking up for the franchise with a new head coach in John Harbaugh and plenty of young talent, Lawrence has officially requested a trade. Here’s how the NFL world is reacting to the news.
Dexter Lawrence Requests Trade Over Contract Dispute
Since being drafted by the Giants in 2019 out of Clemson, Lawrence has consistently been one of the best defensive linemen in all of football. Over the course of seven seasons, Lawrence has racked up 341 combined tackles, 30.5 sacks, 40 tackles for loss, 103 quarterback hits, 15 passes defended, 5 forced fumbles, and 1 interception.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Lawrence requested a trade due to the contract dispute with the Giants. “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 X.
In PFSN’s NFL Defensive Tackle Impact Metric, he has a career average impact score of 80.8, which equates to a letter grade of B-. Now, the three-time Pro Bowler is expected to be on the move. Here’s how the NFL world has reacted thus far:
PFSN’s Jacob Infante, who wants to see the defensive tackle in Chicago, posted an image reading “BEAR.”
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 6, 2026
Bears Fan TV host Davebftv posted, “Chicago makes too much sense. Wouldn’t be shocked if Ryan Poles is already on the phone with NY.”
Chicago makes too much sense. Wouldn’t be shocked if Ryan Poles is already on the phone with NY
— Dave (@davebftv) April 6, 2026
Chicago Bears YouTuber, DaWindyCity Productions, also wants to see Lawrence join his team, saying, “Bears need to be ALL-IN on this. I actually had the Bears trading for Dexter Lawrence in my mock offseason video. Would LOVE it if it could become a reality.”
Giants reporter Jordan Raanan talked more about the situation between Lawrence and the team, posting, “Dexter Lawrence has not been happy for quite some time. It’s why Joe Schoen was being asked about Lawrence’s contract earlier this offseason.”
Giants and NFL reporter Art Stapleton posts, “John Harbaugh and Giants have their first in-house issue to deal with, and it’s a big one.”
John Harbaugh and Giants have their first in-house issue to deal with, and it’s a big one.
— Art Stapleton (@art_stapleton) April 6, 2026
Aside from a fair bit of the NFL world giving Lawrence to the Bears the most traction, there are others calling for him to go elsewhere.
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For example, Green Bay Packers reporter Peter Bukowski wants to see his team make a move for Lawrence. He conveyed this by simply posting an image of the general manager, Brian Gutekunst:
— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) April 6, 2026
Houston Texans reporter Cody Stoots wants to see his team strengthen its defense, which is already one of the best in the league. He posted, ” I mean, why not build the greatest defensive line of all-time in Houston?”
I mean, why not build the greatest defensive line of all-time in Houston?
— Cody Stoots (@Cody_Stoots) April 6, 2026
Finally, Los Angeles Chargers reporter Alex Insdorf posted, “Your terms are acceptable.”
All of these teams make sense for Lawrence, and they’re probably teams that haven’t been mentioned as much. One thing is for certain: whatever team trades for Lawrence will be getting a game-changer on their interior defense.