Dexter Lawrence speaks out on Daniel Jones benched call after ‘tough’ decision

Dexter Lawrence has expressed his displeasure over the New York Giants hierarchy’s choice to bench quarterback Daniel Jones after a string of lacklustre performances. Jones has had a rocky tenure in his recent 16-game streak as the starting quarterback, managing only three wins against thirteen defeats.

Alarmingly, he has thrown just 10 touchdown passes in this time, while suffering more turnovers than scoring plays – racking up 13 interceptions. This season paints a bleak picture for Jones and the Giants, with their record sinking to 2-8 following a demoralising 20-17 defeat at the hands of the Carolina Panthers.

In the fallout from the loss to the Panthers, where the seasoned quarterback recorded 190 passing yards, two interceptions and scrambled for a running touchdown, the Giants brass took the bye week to deliberate and have chosen to sit Jones out.

Instead of the 27-year-old, the Giants have granted Tommy DeVito another stint as the starting quarterback. The move has elicited a reaction from Giants star Dexter Lawrence, who voiced his disapproval of the decision to sideline his close friend.

Speaking at a charity event on Tuesday, as per The Athletic, Lawrence said: “That’s my best friend. It’s tough for that to happen. I can’t control it. They made the decision based off their evaluations and their thoughts and feelings. … That’s my boy. As a player, you got to keep playing. As a human and as a brother, I feel for him.”

Giants stars Lawrence and Jones secured their futures within two months of each other, landing hefty contract extensions worth $90 million (£71m) and $160 million (£126m) respectively. Both drafted in 2019, Lawrence and Jones have been friends since joining up in New York despite being on opposite sides of the ball.

Despite their different roles on the field, Lawrence is dominating with nine sacks and 38 tackles in just 10 games, while quarterback Jones has scored eight touchdowns – but has given away seven interceptions and averages 207 yards per game.

Even so, Lawrence threw his support behind Jones, acknowledging the collective nature of the sport. He said: “Teams lose games, not just one player, and I think that should be understood.” Lawrence also noted the importance of trusting those calling the shots to maintain his own form, as he said: “Because you don’t know their full thoughts behind it.

“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 naive. You start thinking about the wrong s—, then you start playing like s—, you know what I’m saying? You got to be naive and trust the process.”