Dexter Lawrence II wants to leave: The defensive tackle has demanded a trade from the New York Giants.

Bad news for John Harbaugh: The new head coach of the New York Giants will have to do without one of his key players at the start of training on Tuesday.

Possibly even forever.

Because defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II is demanding a trade, according to “ESPN”. That’s why he will skip the Giants’ offseason program, according to reports.

This week, the ten teams that are starting the new season with a new head coach will begin the voluntary program, including the Giants.

“How important is he? Extremely important,“ Harbaugh said in February about Dexter Lawrence II: ”He’s super, super important. He’s a cornerstone – actually not just a cornerstone, more like the central pillar. He’s right in the middle. A very big pillar, and an extremely active, athletic one at that.”

New York Giants: Lawrence loses 500,000 dollars

Both parties have already tried to negotiate a new contract in the past two offseasons. However, success has clearly been limited, with no agreement in sight.

Lawrence’s contract runs for another two years and he would receive 20 million dollars in 2026. By forgoing training, the former first-round pick is missing out on a bonus of 500,000 dollars.

The hope that new personnel could provide movement in the leadership positions has now been dashed for the time being.

The 28-year-old, who was selected 17th overall by the Giants in the 2019 draft, has 30.5 sacks, five forced fumbles and one interception in his career. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl three times and named Second-Team All-Pro twice. However, his 2025 season was disappointing with half a sack and eight quarterback hits.