It has been over two months since the Cincinnati Bengals made a blockbuster trade, landing star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II from the New York Giants. Lawrence hasn’t left Cincinnati since, but he spoke to the media for only the second time on Wednesday.
Lawrence very quickly became one of the leaders in the room, with his reputation to back him up. On a defense with a mix of young and veteran talent, Lawrence says he is eager to pass his knowledge on to others.
“It’s part of my role to allow
people to understand my knowledge of the game, and in growing that sense,” Lawrence said. “So, it just happens naturally, type of thing. I’m just excited to keep growing with them and learning. I’m embracing it, and I enjoy it. It’s just about winning and doing what you can to win and do what you can to help everybody else around you be successful.”
It seems that Lawrence and defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery are getting along well, and Lawrence is enjoying getting to work.
“Everybody has a purpose, and everybody has the same goal, and that’s just winning and doing what you can to win, and I’m excited about that,” Lawrence said. “Coach Montgomery, he’s a perfectionist, and he wants everything to be to a T, and I respect that a lot. He’s intentional with his work. For me, it’s just continuing who I am as a player, and I love this game, and I give my all to this game, so the juice will never die. It’s just more of how I can impact the team.”
Lawrence had a down year in 2025 by his standards, but he still ended the season with a 75.6 grade from Pro Football Focus. That landed him at ninth-best in the NFL, but the Bengals are banking on him returning to his elite form of the prior three seasons. In those seasons, he ended with a grade of 89 or better.
Lawrence’s presence has been felt on the practice field and in his locker room. When September gets here, his presence could be what puts the Bengals over the top.
