Dexter Lawrence responds to Carl Banks' critique

Former Giants linebacker and current team radio analyst Carl Banks sharply criticized defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence following New York's 38-20 loss at Philadelphia on Sunday, saying on his podcast that opposing offenses no longer respect Lawrence the way they did before a season ending elbow injury. Lawrence responded on Wednesday, calling Banks "delusional" and rejecting the assessment as he and the Giants try to right a 2-6 start to the season.

Banks said that the preinjury version of Lawrence is "not there, in their heads" and argued that Lawrence is not consistently influencing games the way he once did, even when facing backups on the opposing offensive line. Banks also questioned whether Lawrence is fully recovered from the left elbow dislocation he suffered on Thanksgiving last season, an injury that cost him the final five games of 2024.

Lawrence, 27, delivered a blunt reply at a team news conference, saying he disagrees with Banks and that the comments do not motivate him. "Those were strong words, but if that's how he feels, f it," he said. He added that his elbow is not an issue and disputed the implication that opponents are not accounting for him. "I get a lot of...