Dean Lowry Headed to Giants Practice Squad With 85 Career Starts

2 days ago

3 min read

Updated: 13 hours ago

Published Oct 29, 2026, 8:15 AM ET | By Vincent Rapisardi

Key points

The Giants are signing veteran defensive lineman Dean Lowry to their practice squad, The Athletic's Dan Duggan reported Tuesday.
Lowry has 85 starts and 16.5 sacks in 132 games with the Packers, Vikings and Steelers.
He missed the 2025 season with a torn ACL and has not played in a regular-season game since 2024.

Dean Lowry is finally headed to the Giants. The Athletic's Dan Duggan reported on X Tuesday that the veteran defensive lineman is joining the practice squad. He brings 85 career starts to a front that has struggled against the run.

Big Blue Film Room shared the report on X, noting Lowry's 16.5 career sacks. Duggan's own post opened with "Finally, it's happening."

The deal was weeks in the making. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler first reported the plan before Week 1, according to ProFootballTalk. Duggan wrote on Sept. 9 that Lowry wasn't signing that week but would "likely" join "in the near future."

Why the Giants Want Dean Lowry Up Front

Lowry, 32, was a fourth-round pick of the Packers out of Northwestern in 2016, according to Pro Football Reference.

The Giants rebuilt their interior after trading Dexter Lawrence to Cincinnati for the No. 10 pick in April. Shelby Harris, DJ Reader, C.J. Okoye and rookie Bobby Jamison-Travis are all in their first season with the club, ProFootballTalk noted.

Depth has thinned since. Roy Robertson-Harris went on injured reserve Aug. 5 and Chauncey Golston followed Oct. 10, per the Giants' 2026 transaction tracker.

The run defense needs the help most. Opponents have rushed for 897 yards at 4.8 yards per carry, which ranks 30th in the NFL, per Pro Football Reference.

By the Numbers: Dean Lowry's Career by Team

Team (seasons)	Games / starts	Sacks
Packers (2016-22)	111 / 80	15.5
Vikings (2023)	9 / 4	0.0
Steelers (2024)	12 / 1	1.0
Career	132 / 85	16.5

Sources: Pro Football Reference (career and team totals) and Field Level Media (team years).

His best year came in 2021, when he started all 17 games and posted 5.0 sacks, per Pro Football Reference.

The Dean Lowry Caveat: A Torn ACL and a Year Away

Lowry tore his ACL in Pittsburgh's training camp and missed the entire 2025 season, Field Level Media reported.

The Steelers released him at final cuts on Aug. 30, Field Level Media reported. He went unsigned through the first seven weeks.

His last regular-season action came in 2024, when he had five tackles and a sack in 12 games for Pittsburgh, ProFootballTalk noted.

What Comes Next for Dean Lowry and the Giants

Lowry joins defensive linemen Josh Tupou and PJ Mustipher on the practice squad, according to the Giants' roster page. The Giants made the signing official alongside their Tyrone Tracy Jr. injured reserve move.

Practice squad players can be elevated on game days, a path we covered with Jason Brownlee's signing. Duggan's report did not say when Lowry might be elevated.

The 4-2-1 Giants lead the NFC East coming off a 27-21 overtime win at Houston. After the bye, they visit Philadelphia on Nov. 8, per Giants.com.

Our Take: What Dean Lowry Can and Can't Fix for the Giants

I said in September that the Giants should not have traded Dexter Lawrence, because he made everyone around him better. A practice squad signing isn't built to replace that kind of player.

What Lowry brings is experience: 85 career starts at 6-foot-6 and 296 pounds, per Pro Football Reference. That's a veteran the Giants can elevate if injuries hit the front.

There are bright spots. DJ Reader has been great, and as I said on X, his play shows what good coaching can do. He led the defense with an 89.2 PFF grade vs the Saints.

The caveat is real. Lowry is 32 and missed all of 2025 with a torn ACL. Whether he still has enough to help a run defense allowing 4.8 yards per carry is what I'll be tracking if he's elevated.

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