The Green Bay Packers have been linked to New York Giants All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence for the past few days, after it came out that Big Blue could trade their most productive defensive commodity.
Adam Schefter listed the Packers as one of the teams that makes sense for Lawrence, given their deficiency at the position but otherwise fairly complete roster, and their win-now mindset.
But there is always the thought that rumors are to be treated as such until the smoke turns into bona fide flames.
And now, after a report from NFL insider Jordan Schultz, it appears that there may in fact be some flames. Schultz reported on Thursday that the relationship between New York and their star DT is “not in a good place”, and that a split may well be incoming.
While money is a big part of it, another element is that Lawrence has seen many players leave the organization over the years. He’s stayed quiet, been a good soldier, and
Dexter Lawrence’s Relationship With the Giants in a Bad Place
“The Giants’ situation with All-Pro DT Dexter Lawrence is not in a good place and has not been for a while.” Schultz posted on X. “While money is a big part of it, another element is that Lawrence has seen many players leave the organization over the years. He’s stayed quiet, been a good soldier, and tried to be a team guy.”
According to Schultz, Lawrence resented the Giants not giving him a raise after his immense 9-sack season in 2024, which also saw him record a career-best 8 tackles-for-loss – all of which was done despite him missing the last five games of the season with an elbow injury, which ended up affecting his performance in 2025.
“So when it became clear last year that he had outplayed his contract and it was time for a new deal, the organization not taking it so seriously felt like a slap in the face. That has continued this offseason.” Schultz continued, before quoting a source close to the situation. “He [Lawrence] understands what those players who were shown the door by the Giants felt.”
Do the Packers Have a Realistic Shot of Landing Lawrence
For a team that is paying both the joint-second highest paid quarterback in Jordan Love, and the highest paid non-quarterback in Micah Parsons, the Packers actually have a pretty good cap situation on their hands.
They rank 15th in league in cap space in 2026, and 21st and 22nd over the ensuing two seasons, as of April 2026. And with players of the quality of Lawrence, it is always possible to find a way to make the finances work.
The bigger question will likely surround trade compensation. The Packers have no first round pick until 2028 due to the Parsons trade executed last August, and it could be hard to tempt the Giants into taking multiple second round picks in exchange for a player of the 28-year old’s caliber.
It is certainly not impossible that Green Bay can package something viable together, but it might involve giving up more than General Manager Brian Gutekunst is ready to lose.
Packers’ Dexter Lawrence Trade Rumors Surge After Damning Report