He wasn’t just unhappy about his contract, Dexter Lawrence II had become so enraged with life with the New York Giants, he had to restrain himself from “choking out” a teammate.
The information comes from Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News. He revealed to The Carton Show on WFAN Sports Radio, how during the Giants “loss in Pittsburgh, when Russell Wilson was the quarterback there, that was a game when Deonte Banks quit on the field. Dexter Lawrence was doing breathing exercises on the sideline to prevent himself from going over and choking out his teammate. He was just finished with the fact that there wasn’t enough accountability on the team. So that was draining him, the fact that the culture wasn’t holding everybody accountable, and he felt like he was on an island.”
Lawrence ultimately escaped that lonely island when he was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 10th pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Yet, Leonard’s account of what happened in Pittsburgh in 2024 is revealing on a number of levels.
It shows the underlying problems that have kept the Giants losing in recent years. Losing that Lawrence could’t take any more and made it easier for former teammates to convince him to force his way out.
Lawrence’s almost, but not-to-be altercation with cornerback Banks is also a reminder of the Giants’ recent high-profile draft failures. Particularly when 2023 first-round pick Banks has routinely been accused of not pulling his weight.
Deonte Banks Must Win Back Trust
Banks is getting yet another chance to prove he can make the grade in the pros, but he must start by winning back the trust of teammates. That won’t be easy after the 25-year-old freely admitted to shirking physical responsibilities during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles one week before facing the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It wasn’t even the first time Banks admitted to giving up on a play. Banks became an emblem of weak tackling technique among Giants’ cornerbacks, something a new coaching staff led by John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson surely won’t tolerate.
Perhaps more important is how Banks’ lack of force and graft sum up an environment among the Giants Lawrence was determined to escape. A culture beleaguered general manager Joe Schoen helped create, but is being given another chance to reshape.
Giants Need Attitude Adjustment Post-Dexter Lawrence II Trade
Lawrence wanted to be somewhere where players are more accountable, but that’s the same standard Harbaugh needs to make the minimum requirement for the Giants.
It won’t be easy when the former the Baltimore Ravens head coach is still working within Schoen’s recruitment process. Any possible tensions between the pair will likely end in Harbaugh having the final say, a necessary adjustment after years of failure on Schoen’s watch.
Changing the narrative will depend on Harbaugh holding players to account in a way his predecessor Brian Daboll rarely did. It means Banks likely won’t get as many chances to prove he’s fully committed to the cause.
Creating a winning team demands a dedication to winning habits. A dedication only possible if players share the same attitude.
The Giants didn’t have that sense of unity and purpose when Lawrence was on the team, and he got out before his frustrations boiled over.
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