Don’t misinterpret Dexter Lawrence’s frustrations.
Yes, he is tired of losing week after week and year after year, but it’s not a situation analogous to other NFL stars who see changing teams as the solution to their problems.
In the middle of an NFL Defensive Player of the Year-caliber season hunting down quarterbacks, Lawrence also is searching for the right buttons to push to get things turned around for the Giants (2-6) — a mission that, if accomplished, would strengthen his chance to be remembered as one of the franchise’s icons in the Ring of Honor.
“I do see myself having my name up there,” Lawrence told The Post. “That means more to me than getting traded. In this organization, anybody would want to have their name up there.”
A passionate Lawrence said after the Giants loss Monday to the Steelers — which dropped his career record when on the field to 30-57-1 — that he was “extremely frustrated.” It is easy for fans to draw a nervous parallel between those feelings and Davante Adams’ words before forcing his way from the Raiders to the Jets.
Lawrence was spotted urging his defensive back teammates on the sideline to play harder after a Steelers touchdown pass that was eventually negated by replay, but “shouldn’t have happened” in the first place.
“I’m not frustrated with being here as a player,” Lawrence said. “It’s more just knowing that we can win and we’re not winning. We have to get better at doing the little stuff.”
In the first year after the departures of mainstays Saquon Barkley, Xavier McKinney and Leonard Williams — and with Daniel Jones’ future uncertain and Malik Nabers still a rookie — Lawrence has become the face of the Giants.
“I feel like Dex is understanding that his voice has to grow when before he was more action-led,” said veteran defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who is in his second year playing alongside Lawrence after exposure to Buccaneers star Lavonte David.
“Some leadership comes through as, ‘I’ll lead, you guys follow.’ Some situations require more, and in that sense Dex understands that not only does he have to ‘do.’ He has to sometimes ‘say.’ Guys are going to listen to a guy who is doing great things when he is asking other people to do it.”
It has added new responsibilities to Lawrence’s plate, including striking the right note between calling out cornerback Deonte Banks’ “unacceptable” effort on a couple of plays while simultaneously letting it be known that “I got his back.”
Banks was mysteriously benched by the coaches soon after Lawrence’s frustrations boiled over during Monday’s game.
“You kind of earn the role as a leader, and a lot of guys have earned that role besides myself,” Lawrence said. “In that moment … I was just passionate. That’s not the first time that I’ve raised my voice or yelled or anything like that. I was just trying to lead.”
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Lawrence is signed to a $90 million contract through 2027 — and his play already is making it seem like a bargain for the Giants. He leads the NFL in sacks with nine despite getting double-teamed on nearly two-thirds of his pass rushes — the highest-rate in the NFL, according to NextGenStats.
“He is a unique player,” defensive line coach Andre Patterson said. “The thing that tips him over is that there are a lot of big, strong, long guys in the NFL that play his spot, but they don’t have the quick feet that he has to be able to catch up, get on top of a guy and still make his move.”
Seven defensive tackles have topped $90 million in the 17 months since Lawrence re-signed, back when the Giants were coming off a trip to the playoffs.
Figuring out how to get back to that place is top of mind. Not business.
“I believe in servant leadership,” Lawrence said, “and that’s what I’m going to do until I can’t no more.”
But Lawrence is encouraging others to speak up, too. The Giants are not just “his” team.
“As competitors, this whole team wants to get it turned around,” Lawrence said. “I don’t think it’s on me individually. It’s on everybody. That’s what’s been expressed in a way.”