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A New York Giants star is firing back at a team legend’s criticism of his play this season.
Carl Banks, one of the team’s best defensive players to wear the big blue jersey, recently called out Lawrence and said that no one in the league respects him anymore. Banks said he has a relationship with Lawrence, but such a scathing performance statement, even from a team legend, doesn’t usually sit well.
Lawrence was asked what Banks said at his locker on Wednesday, and as you might expect, he didn’t appreciate it.
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Carl Banks of The New York Giants enjoys the suite during the game between the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders at MetLife Stadium on February 18, 2024 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Kostas Lymperopoulos/NHLI)
“He’s delusional,” Lawrence replied to The New York Post. “… His words are delusions.”
Maybe Banks was trying to motivate the Giants’ star defensive tackle, but Lawrence doesn’t see it that way at all.
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“Let’s say this — I hope people start trying to disrespect me. Let’s say it,” he said.
“I hope they don’t start disrespecting me because that’s not what shows on the field. They show a lot of respect on the field.”
The respect Lawrence talks about is the double teams he consistently gets on game day, and that’s not at all uncommon during his Giants tenure. Lawrence is arguably one of the best at his position in the NFL, and it usually takes more than one man to stop him from getting into the backfield.
“I get a lot of attention,” he noted. “Check the numbers.”
However, the numbers are what Banks and others in the Giants’ fan base are looking at with Lawrence this season. The three-time Pro Bowler had nine sacks last season and 44 combined tackles over 12 games.
Dexter Lawrence of the New York Giants warms up before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium on September 21, 2025. (Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
This year, Lawrence had just one half-sack with 20 combined tackles in eight games. He recorded an interception in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers while also knocking down three pass attempts down the stretch. Another telling statistic is having just four quarterback hits and six total pressures, which is unlike Lawrence.
“I think I’m playing well, yeah,” Lawrence said. “Those are strong words, but that’s how he feels. F— it.”
Banks said on X that he is critical of all players on his former team, and that sentiment was also carried through in a response to The Post.
“I love Dex and will continue to publicly support him and his teammates,” he said. “I wish them the best of luck. He remains my favorite Giant. As I said on my @BleavNetwork pod. To get out of the current mess, he and they will have to ask more of themselves. I’ve been *IMO* fair in my criticism of my observations as well as complementary of not only him but others. I do *publicly* weekly.
Dexter Lawrence II of the New York Giants warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on October 28, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
“If he’s unhappy with me, I’m fine with that. It doesn’t change how I feel about him. Hopefully collectively they’ll ask more of themselves and finish strong.”
The Giants, now 2-6 after a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, will be back at MetLife Stadium to take on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
