John Harbaugh has moved quickly to steady the waters in New York after a turbulent opening to the Giants’ voluntary offseason programme, insisting the focus remains on football despite trade speculation surrounding two of the franchise’s defensive cornerstones.

The bigger of the two storylines centres on Dexter Lawrence, whose trade request has cast an early shadow over Harbaugh’s first spring in charge at MetLife Stadium. Speaking as workouts opened, the new Giants head coach struck a measured tone, acknowledging the realities of the modern NFL while leaving the door open for a resolution.

“There’s business involved,” Harbaugh said when addressing the All-Pro defensive tackle’s situation, but refusing to be drawn into any immediate conclusions over Lawrence’s future.

The request comes at a delicate point for the Giants as they attempt to reshape their identity under Harbaugh following a disappointing 2025 campaign. Now 27, Lawrence remains one of the league’s premier interior defensive linemen and would command significant interest should New York decide to entertain offers.

Alongside the Lawrence uncertainty, questions continue to swirl around edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, whose long-term place in the Giants’ plans has been the subject of league-wide speculation. Harbaugh, however, was keen to redirect attention back to the field.

“I think he’s a great player. I’m excited about him,” he said of the former fifth overall pick. “I’m thinking about him on the field, getting him plugged into our defense and getting him rolling.”

Pressed on the trade noise, Harbaugh offered a typically wry response, noting that ‘everybody’s tradeable’, before stressing that such matters are not the primary focus as the team begins its offseason work.

The Thibodeaux storyline carries added intrigue given the Giants’ investment elsewhere on the edge, with Brian Burns already commanding major money and young talent continuing to emerge across the defensive front. Moving him would free cap space and potentially help bridge any financial gap in future negotiations with Lawrence, though it would also thin one of the roster’s few proven strengths.

Elsewhere around the league, Wednesday’s movement saw the Houston Texans exercise the fifth-year options on cornerstone young stars C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson Jr, while the Giants further bolstered Harbaugh’s offensive line by reuniting with former Baltimore guard Daniel Faalele on a one-year deal. In Atlanta, right tackle Kaleb McGary announced his retirement, prompting the Falcons to move swiftly for former Kansas City tackle Jawaan Taylor as teams across the league continue to reshape their rosters ahead of the draft.