Dexter Lawrence, Giants reach an impasse: Contract projection for star

Dexter Lawrence, Giants reach an impasse: Contract projection for star

Dexter Lawrence wants the New York Giants to show him the money. Instead, they might show him the door.

The two sides have been trying to work out a new, big-money extension, but they have since reached an "impasse," according to NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport. The belief is that there will be a resolution, one way or another, before the 2026 NFL Draft.

Rapoport added that the Giants have engaged with teams in trade talks.

News broke on April 6 that the 28-year-old Lawrence has already requested a trade, a person familiar with the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.

In search of a new contract, the defender has two years remaining on the four-year, $90 million contract he signed in 2023, but he has no guaranteed money left on the deal.

General manager Joe Schoen told reporters on April 14 that he won't put a deadline on any decisions regarding Lawrence and his future with the team.

"I'm not going to get into if there's a deadline or not," Schoen said. "He's under contract for two more years. We're not going to put any deadlines on anything. Right now we're having productive conversations and we'll see where it goes."

The drama surrounding Lawrence represents the first true test for new head coach John Harbaugh, who has been riding a wave of positivity with the Giants this offseason. Harbaugh will be tasked with smoothing over a strained relationship if no trade comes to fruition.

Considering that Lawrence is a key piece to the team's defensive front, the Giants can ill afford to lose him – and they might not be able to afford to keep him either.

Here's a look at how much it might cost for the Giants to retain Lawrence's services.

OT Tytus Howard: Traded to Cleveland Browns (previous team: Houston Texans)

CB Trent McDuffie: Traded to Los Angeles Rams (previous team: Kansas City Chiefs)

RB David Montgomery: Traded to Houston Texans (previous team: Detroit Lions)

WR DJ Moore: Traded to Buffalo Bills (previous team: Chicago Bears)

1 / 4

2026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, trades

OT Tytus Howard: Traded to Cleveland Browns (previous team: Houston Texans)

1 / 4

2026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, trades

OT Tytus Howard: Traded to Cleveland Browns (previous team: Houston Texans)

2 / 4

2026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, trades

CB Trent McDuffie: Traded to Los Angeles Rams (previous team: Kansas City Chiefs)

3 / 4

2026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, trades

RB David Montgomery: Traded to Houston Texans (previous team: Detroit Lions)

4 / 4

2026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, trades

WR DJ Moore: Traded to Buffalo Bills (previous team: Chicago Bears)

Highest-paid interior defensive lineman

Lawrence is currently the 11th highest-paid interior defensive lineman in the NFL based on average annual value (AAV), per OverTheCap.

The Giants' star makes $22.5 million in AAV, a number that has often been surpassed in recent years. While the Kansas City Chiefs' Chris Jones headlines the market at $31.75 million in AAV, others like Milton Williams and Jordan Davis – who each make $26 million in AAV – have reset the value for interior defensive lineman.

Paired with some hefty guarantees, those contracts have proven to be exactly what Lawrence appears to be looking for.

Dexter Lawrence contract projection

• Term: 4 years
• Total value: $108 million
• Average annual value (AAV): $27 million
• Guaranteed money: $70 million

When it comes to contracts, there are two things that matter – AAV and guarantees. Plenty of contracts come with the sticker shock of a massive total value, but it doesn't always tell the entire story.

In the case of Lawrence, he wants to be in the current interior defensive lineman market. That means he needs to eclipse about $26 million in AAV. His age is certainly a drawback in this case, at least compared to the players that have received that level of compensation.

Lawrence doesn't project as a player set to cross the $30 million-a-year mark, meaning he should settle into the $27 million range. Paired with a significant chunk of guaranteed money, that should be enough to get a deal done.

In this case, the deal compares to the one that the Denver Broncos gave Zach Allen ahead of the 2025 season. They awarded Allen with a four-year, $102 million deal with $69.5 million guaranteed.

Lawrence would surpass Allen, Williams, Davis in both AAV and total value with this projection, sliding in right behind Jones as the second highest-paid interior defensive lineman in the league.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dexter Lawrence contract prediction: How much could Giants star make?