Giants Place DT Dexter Lawrence & TE Theo Johnson On IR Among Other Moves

The New York Giants announced they have placed DT Dexter Lawrence and fourth-round TE Theo Johnson on injured reserve. 

We have placed DL Dexter Lawrence and TE Theo Johnson on IR.

DL Cory Durden has been signed from the Rams practice squad.

Details: https://t.co/NrxVG9NEmu pic.twitter.com/J5LWPjBm2d

— New York Giants (@Giants) December 2, 2024

Both players are expected to miss the rest of the season. 

New York also announced the signing of DT Cory Durden off the Rams’ practice squad. 

Lawrence, 27, 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 $6 million in 2024 and $15.5 million in 2025. 

 In 2024, Lawrence appeared in 12 games for the Giants and recorded 44 tackles, eight tackles for loss, nine sacks, one pass defense, and one forced fumble. 

Johnson, 23, was a three-year starter at Penn State and earned an honorable mention for All-Big Ten honors in 2023. He appeared in the 2022 Rose Bowl, 2023 Peach Bowl, and 2024 Senior Bowl, and led the Nittany Lions in receiving touchdowns as a senior.

Johnson signed a four-year, $4.8 million rookie deal through 2027 with a base salary of $795k in 2024.

In 2024, Johnson appeared in 12 games for the Giants and caught 29 of 43 targets for 331 yards (11.4 YPC) and a touchdown.