The Cincinnati Bengals changed their offseason philosophy after another disappointing season in 2025. There’s no doubt that, when fully healthy, the Bengals have one of the most dominant offenses in the NFL. With that in mind, the front office went out of its way to focus on upgrading its defense ahead of the new campaign.
The biggest addition of the bunch on that side of the ball for Cincy saw it pick up Dexter Lawrence in a trade with the New York Giants. At his best, Lawrence is one of the most disruptive interior defensive linemen in the league, but he is coming off a fairly disappointing 2025 campaign by his lofty standards. Lawrence knows he didn’t turn in a strong season last year, but he’s confident he will be able to deliver the goods for the Bengals in his first campaign with the team.
Dexter Lawrence Gets Brutally Honest on Low Sack Totals
The Giants selected Lawrence with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, and he quickly became one of the most well-rounded defensive tackles in the league. Despite frequently facing double teams at the middle of the line scrimmage, Lawrence frequently found a way to post big sack totals.
After racking up a career-high nine sacks in just 12 games in 2024, Lawrence responded by posting a measly 0.5 sacks in 17 games last year. Lawrence still did his job, but when it came to getting to the quarterback, he simply was unable to do so. That didn’t deter Cincinnati from sending the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the Giants in exchange for the star lineman.
With Trey Hendrickson departing in free agency, the Bengals now are counting on Lawrence to lead their defensive line, which is a somewhat worrying proposition when considering his lack of production last season. Lawrence made it clear that he isn’t concerned, though, as he noted that his sack totals aren’t indicative of his all-around production.
“If you turn on the tape, you’ll see what you’re supposed to see,” Lawrence said, per Ben Baby of ESPN. “It’s more about proving myself right. I know who I am. People have been talking about me my whole life. It’s just the way this game goes. It’s just the way I’ve been in the spotlight my whole life.”
Bengals Need a Bounce-Back Campaign from Dexter Lawrence in 2026
GettyNew York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
Lawrence was good last season, but considering how the Bengals handed him a one-year, $28 million contract extension right after trading for him, it’s clear they are going to need more from him, especially now that Hendrickson is gone. It’s certainly a risky move from Cincy, but Lawrence is confident he will be able to prove the team right for bringing him to town.
If the Bengals can put all the pieces of the puzzle together, they have proven that they can be a Super Bowl contender. A big part of that involves staying healthy on offense, but the hope is that even if they can’t, the defense will be able to pick them up moving forward. Lawrence will play a big role in determining whether or not that’s possible, which is why it is so important that he puts up some bigger numbers in 2026.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Dexter Lawrence Delivers Honest Message Before First Bengals Season appeared first on HEAVY.