The New York Giants hit a snag in talks with Dexter Lawrence, fueling speculation that Big Blue will inevitably trade their big man. It would be rough news to announce the passing of Brian Burns.
“Speaking for me, the Giants aren’t the Giants without No. 97 in center,” Burns told Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post. “So we’re going to figure it out to keep him here regardless, I hope. That’s my guy. And I don’t want to play this season or another season without him.”
Burns is coming off a 16.5 sack season and earns his third Pro Bowl and first second team All-Pro selection. Some of that production came with the help of Lawrence eating up blocks in the middle. The Giants’ pass rush was significantly worse when Lawrence left the field.
With a trade request that came after extension talks went nowhere, Lawrnece has skipped free practice. His absence is noticeable, according to Burns.
“Dex is a huge presence in the locker room,” Burns told Dunleavy. “It’s been a little weird without him here and knowing the uncertainty in the business about what he’s going through. It would be a big loss to lose him. He’s a vocal leader. A lot of guys look up to him. Hell, I look up to him sometimes. You never want to lose a guy like that.”
Burns has intimate knowledge of what Lawrence is going through right now. This situation is not unlike the one Burns took in Carolina before being traded to New York and given a big new contract in 2024.
“I’ve been there, I understand the nature of the business and how things can get,” Burns said. “What I would tell Dex, what I leaned on when I was going through it, is my faith and letting what happens happen.”
Burns hopes what happens is a deal that keeps Lawrence happy and in New York. However, that hope is quickly fading.