Dexter Lawrence supports the Giants’ quarterback change even though he doesn’t fully understand it.
Lawrence spent Tuesday volunteering with Campbell’s Chunky at Community Food Bank of New Jersey, putting his energy into helping pack 1,170 cans of soup into boxes rather than trying to unpack the reasoning behind benching Daniel Jones for previous third-stringer Tommy DeVito.
Head coach Brian Daboll called it a “hard decision” during a team meeting Monday, according to Lawrence. The announcement was met with “a little bit of confusion.”
“Because you don’t know their full thoughts behind it,” Lawrence said. “I think we trust the coaches and where they’re going and where they think we can go. That’s what you have to do. You have to be naïve and trust the process. You think about the wrong s–t and then you start playing like s–t.”
Jones was demoted behind backup Drew Lock to third string, which essentially all but assures that he won’t play again this season, that the $23 million injury guarantee in his contract won’t activate and that he will be released after the season.
“He’s the QB1. To me, the best quarterback on the team,” Lawrence said. “But they see things differently. I guess that’s all that matters.”
As one of the NFL’s best players, the longest-tenured Giant along with the fellow 2019 first-round draft pick Jones and a co-captain, Lawrence’s thoughts carry significant weight in the locker room. He called Jones his “best friend.”
“It’s tough for that [benching] to happen,” Lawrence said. “I can’t control it. They made the decision based off their evaluations, and thoughts and feelings. You’ve got to respect it as a player even though you don’t like it. As a player, you have to keep playing. As a human and as a brother, I feel for him.”
DeVito led the Giants on a three-game winning streak last season as an undrafted rookie who became a fan favorite. Lawrence was a big part of a defense that forced 12 takeaways in those three games – to aid DeVito’s 3-3 overall record.
“Tommy, I have a lot of respect for him,” Lawrence said. “He has probably the most charisma and confidence I’ve ever seen in a third-string quarterback. That’s good. He knows who he is and he’s strong as a person.”
How did Jones take the demotion?
“He’s strong. He gets the business side of it,” Lawrence said. “I guess they talked about it. He obviously doesn’t like the choice that was made. But he has to live with it, and I think he’ll grow through it.”
The Giants are off to a 2-8 start with the lowest-scoring offense and worst rushing defense in the NFL and about to miss the playoffs for the fifth time in Jones’ six seasons. Jones became a punching bag for fans and critics who looked past the team’s many other flaws.
“Teams lose games, not just one player,” Lawrence said. “That should be understood.”
Lawrence was joined by his wife Donna as part of his partnership with Chunky Sacks Hunger to help the food insecure.
The program will donate 1,000 meals to Feeding America for every sack across the NFL this season, including Lawrence’s nine (second-most in the NFL) and the Giants’ 36.
“I learned early [about] servant leadership, and that’s the way life should be – giving back,” Lawrence said. “You get lost in the season sometimes thinking about yourself only, when there’s other people that should be thought about. And that’s what this event is for. I always say it’s more than just about football, and I believe that to my core.”
Lawrence said his first thought after a sack is hitting his trademark “Sexy Dexy” sack dance. Then comes the bigger picture.
“As I debrief and sit back it’s more than about me dancing. It’s about me serving and helping help hunger,” he said. “It’s important the young guys … see a guy like me, the face of the Giants per se, giving back and showing unselfishness and willingness to do it with a smile.”