New York Giants legend and radio broadcaster Carl Banks made headlines in the aftermath of the Giants’ 38-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8 when he said that teams “no longer respect” star defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence anymore.
Banks was very critical of Lawrence in-large part of his play in 2025, especially coming off a game where the defense gave up 276 rushing yards on the ground to the Eagles.
On Wednesday, Lawrence responded to Banks’ claim, calling the two-time Super Bowl winning linebacker “delusional” for his remarks.
Lawrence has had a relatively quiet season compared to past campaigns, totaling just one half-sack, four quarterback hits and 20 tackles in eight games. He also had an interception in a 21-18 home win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Last year, Lawrence was enjoying a great individual season through 12 games, racking up nine sacks, 44 tackles (23 solo) and 16 quarterback hits. Per NFL.com digital content producer Coral Smith, Lawrence was double-teamed on 63.8 percent of his pass rush snaps. That mark was the highest out of any player with at least 200 pass rushes in a season since 2018.
Unfortunately, Lawrence suffered a dislocated left elbow in a 27-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day last season, and he missed the rest of the campaign.
In the meantime, the Giants are in the midst of yet another losing season. For the eighth time in nine seasons, New York has started 1-7 or 2-6 after eight games. This time, it’s 2-6, and things don’t get easier, with the Giants slated to face teams with winning records in each of their next five games, beginning Sunday at home against the San Francisco 49ers. They will need Dexter Lawrence to step up.
