BLOCKBUSTER: Giants Trading DL Dexter Lawrence To Bengals

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Giants are trading DL Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals on Saturday.

The Giants will receive the Bengals’ No. 10 overall pick this year’s draft in return for Lawrence. New York now holds two top-10 picks in this year’s draft. 

Meanwhile, the Bengals will hammer out a long-term extension with Lawrence that he has been seeking this offseason. 

Adam Schefter reports that Lawrence is scheduled to travel to Cincinnati on Sunday for a physical that that would make the trade official.

Lawrence was looking for a new contract from the Giants, but the situation took a turn for the worse and it had become increasingly clear that the star defensive tackle could be playing for a new team in 2026. 

Reports had said that the Giants could be looking at a late first-round pick for Lawrence, so I’m sure New York feels great about this return. 

The Bengals rarely make a move of this magnitude and are typically more conservative with their draft picks. However, their defense had to get better and this is the kind of move that could really push the unit forward. 

Lawrence, 28, was drafted No. 17 overall by the Giants in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Clemson. He finished out his four-year, $13,248,048 rookie contract that included a $7,654,954 signing bonus. New York picked up his fifth-year option worth $10.753 million, fully guaranteed for the 2023 season. 

Lawrence was set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2024 when he signed a four-year, $90 million extension. He’s set to earn a base salary of $18.5 million in 2026. 

In 2025, Lawrence appeared in all 17 games for the Giants and recorded 31 tackles, four tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, four pass defenses, and one interception.