Schoen’s press conference on Tuesday was his first since the request was made, giving the GM his first chance to address it publicly and state his position. That was hopeful, but wasn’t quite as decisive as other teams have handled similar issues (eg, Cleveland’s refusal to entertain a Myles Garrett trade), leaving the door open to a potential deal if the offer is reasonably lucrative.
“I’m always going to pick up the phone,” Schoen said. “So if a team calls, maybe not in the way coach (John Harbaugh) said last week that everybody can be traded, but that’s my job as a general manager: If teams call you, take it into account, it’s case by case and what the compensation might be.”
Schoen has already proven in his career that no player is untouchable. He probably won’t want to revisit the negotiations in his front office with Saquon Barkley in 2024, leaving the door open for the star running back to join the rival Eagles and immediately win a Super Bowl with his new team.
Barkley and Lawrence are players of different quality. Lawrence was considered a defensive mainstay in recent seasons, earning three straight Pro Bowl nods from 2022-2024 and two second-team All-Pro selections in that span, but saw his performance decline as part of a fourth-bottom defense in 2025. At 28, he knows he has one more chance to invest in New York, but may not be interested in investing in New York again.
All it takes is one phone call from a team that makes the right offer. For now, though, Schoen will try to walk the line between doing business and repairing their relationship.