For how long can a team stretch a contract negotiation that isn’t going anywhere? In the case of the New York Giants and Dexter Lawrence, it dragged on for two years before things finally broke down. After the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, he told the Giants that he either wants a new deal or a trade. Not long after, Ian Rapoport reported what many had started to suspect: the talks had stalled completely, with both sides stuck at an impasse.

Next, news came that talks between the two parties had broken off, and now that Lawrence’s trade has been made official, a crucial detail from his negotiations with the Giants has been revealed. It has a lot to do with head coach John Harbaugh.

“As the situation devolved, Lawrence’s camp (agent Joel Segal) did not want to deal with general manager Joe Schoen, but Dawn Aponte and Chris Mara, with Schoen still involved, could not broker a deal. Segal forbade Harbaugh from speaking directly with Lawrence,” Paul Schwartz from the New York Post wrote. “That was a source of frustration.

“Thus, they never heard directly from Lawrence and Harbaugh’s force of personality could not be put to use. That might not have mattered, anyway. Money talks, and thus Lawrence wanted to walk.”

Instead, Segal worked through senior V.P. of football administration and strategy Dawn Aponte and senior player personnel director Chris Mara, with Schoen still involved behind the scenes. Throughout the process, Harbaugh never got the chance to speak directly with Lawrence. As a result, the Giants never heard from the player himself, and Harbaugh’s ability to influence the situation was never really in play. And it’s not hard to see why the head coach wanted that conversation.

Dallas Cowboys’ Jerry Jones has long preferred to bypass agents and negotiate directly with players. While that approach has drawn criticism, it has also worked in his favor at times. Harbaugh, with his personality and approach, could have potentially shifted the tone of the talks.

But that opportunity never came, and Lawrence ultimately got what he was looking for. Here’s the thing: After signing a four-year, $90 million extension in 2023, he outperformed that deal in 2024 with a career-high nine sacks. As the market moved, he pushed for a contract that reflected that production. The Giants, however, leaned toward adding incentives instead, even as players like Milton Williams and Jordan Davis moved into a higher pay range. Eventually, New York traded Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 draft after he publicly requested a trade.

On top of that, the Bengals signed him to a one-year, $28 million extension. Reports indicate he was set to earn $39.5 million under his previous deal. But he’ll now make $47 million over the next two seasons. Considered one of the top DTs in the league, Lawrence now steps into a defense built with him in mind.

“Dexter fits the vision we have on our defense and will also elevate others around him,” Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said after the news was out. “We are confident in Dexter and can’t wait to see the positive effects he and the other players we have acquired this offseason have on our football team. We are excited to turn to the draft and our remaining picks to further enhance our team.”

For the Giants, though, Harbaugh loses a key piece of the defense in his first year as head coach.

John Harbaugh loses the “middle-stone” of his defense

The stalled contract negotiations between the Giants and Dexter Lawrence had been ongoing for the past two seasons. But when John Harbaugh stepped in as the Giants’ head coach, it initially felt like he would keep the 28-year-old defensive tackle at the center of his defense and smooth things out. At the scouting combine, Harbaugh didn’t hold back in praising Lawrence.

“He’s a cornerstone football player,” Harbaugh said of Lawrence. “Not really a cornerstone. He’s more like the middle stone. He’s right in the middle. He’s a very big stone and he’s a very active athletic stone. So we want him in there being a big stone.”

Fast forward, and Lawrence is now set to become a central piece of the Bengals defense. With the trade now complete, the Giants hold the No. 5 and No. 10 overall picks in this week’s Draft.

So, after parting ways with Lawrence, a player who is still in his prime at 28, there is no assurance that whoever they select using Cincinnati’s first-rounder will match the level of impact Lawrence brought. And that naturally opens up a couple of questions.

First, the focus shifts to whether New York will be able to successfully replace a player of Lawrence’s caliber. Second, attention turns to how Lawrence fits and performs in Cincinnati. After all, the last time the Giants moved on from a cornerstone player, Saquon Barkley went on to win a Super Bowl.

Ultimately, the real answer to Lawrence’s new deal will only come once the 2026 season plays out.