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Dexter Lawrence II’s impact on the Bengals has been clear.
The Cincinnati Bengals are one of the early surprises of the 2026 season, and three-time Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence II is a big reason why, both literally and figuratively.
Lawrence was an easy choice for The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. during a roundtable exercise regarding the outlook for each AFC North team, including “which player everyone is talking about” in their respective cities.
Dehner asked rhetorically how anyone else could be the answer over Lawrence.
“There’s a loud appreciation for the rise of Amarius Mims at right tackle and concern over the rough game from Orlando Brown Jr. at left tackle. There’s amazement over Ja’Marr Chase’s catch and Tee Higgins’ consistency,” Dehner wrote on September 25. “But, yeah, Lawrence might need to consider a mayoral campaign. He has completely changed the dynamic of the Bengals’ defense and dominated the win in Houston. For Bengals fans begging for hope on defense for years, a 6-5, 350-pound hero has come along.”
Lawrence has $94.7 million in career earnings. He is signed through the 2028 season. The Bengals tacked a one-year, $28 million extension onto his four-year, $87.5 million pact.
The 28-year-old (29 in November) nose tackle has 3 total tackles through two games. But as fans saw against the Houston Texans in Week 2, Lawrence’s impact does not always show up on the stat sheet.
Dexter Lawrence II Changed Bengals
In response to another question asking what stat sums up what we have seen from the Bengals so far, Dehner cited the pass rush. Lawrence has not racked up gaudy (or any) stats in that regard, but his impact is undeniable.
“The Bengals currently rank in the top 10 of the NFL in sack and pressure percentage. Their eight total sacks are tied for the NFL lead and the team was credited with an insane 41 pressures against Houston. They forced three fumbles on Baker Mayfield in the opener,” Dehner said of the Bengals’ pass rush.
“They built a franchise-changing pass rush in Cincinnati; if it continues, it immediately vaults them into championship-contender status.”
Make no mistake, Lawrence is a major factor in the Bengals’ improved pass rush.
Dexter Lawrence II Called ‘Most Consequential Move’ of 2026 Offseason
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper wrote that the Bengals’ trade for Lawrence is looking like the “most consequential move” of this past offseason.
“The Bengals have a real defense. They are 2-0, and they look like bona fide contenders in the AFC. The trade for Lawrence this offseason is looking like a trajectory-changing move for the Bengals,” Popper wrote on September 23, noting the former New York Giants star “had one of the most dominant interior defensive line performances you will ever see” against the Texans, calling him “unblockable” against the run and pass alike.
“Although the Bengals never led by more than two scores, the Texans had to abandon the run because Lawrence was so disruptive. The Texans only called designed runs on 19.2 percent of their offensive plays, the lowest rate in the league in Week 2, according to TruMedia. Lawrence even dropped into coverage multiple times.”
The Bengals will surely not lean on Lawrence in coverage too often.
Still, the mere threat is now something opposing offensive coordinators must account for. It also adds to how much of a complement to Burrow and the offense Lawrence has made the Bengals defense already.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter