Dexter Lawrence II is officially a Cincinnati Bengal. Fans are over the moon that the franchise landed the crown jewel of the off-season. The 28-year-old himself looked thrilled, spending 17 minutes talking to the media about the move. But beyond all that excitement is a real question. The Bengals sent the No. 10 overall pick to the Giants to get the All-Pro, a price they have never paid before. They have never given up a top-10 draft pick for a player in its history. So why break that pattern now?

The answer traces back to one name, and that’s Joe Burrow. He had already made it clear back in January, “You have to identify where you’re weak and figure out a way to be strong in that area.” The area they lacked was obvious, with them ranking 31st in total defense. But Bengal has been rather conservative about their spending, so Burrow decided not to request change, instead he decided to force it out of the front office.

“I was told Joe Burrow is the one calling the shots in Cincinnati,” veteran reporter Dan Patrick said on his show. “From what I’m told, Joe Burrow said to management, ‘You have to do something defensively, or I’m out of here. ‘ I was told this morning by a source, who said that Joe has given them an ultimatum.”

Of course the front office isn’t blind; they have seen the defensive collapse happen in front of them. They allowed 233.8 passing yards per game and had 147.1 rushing yards per game and they missed the postseason three years in a row now. So that ultimatum hit differently for them. In fact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said that the team is “[trying] to win this year to keep Joe Burrow happy.” And they couldn’t loose Joe Burrow after that ultimatum, not after what he has done for them.

Burrow is a big reason why the Bengals have broken free of their losing slump in the late 2010s. And since then, he has grown to be one of the biggest names in the league. Burrow has eyes set on the final prize, having been to the postseason twice in his six seasons in the NFL. Hence the team stepped in, rather aggressively this offseason.

They already had pieces like Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen to start reshaping the defensive front, but they weren’t enough to fix what had become a structural problem. They needed a centerpiece, and Dexter Lawrence fits that mold, and the stats show that. 

Since 2021, he has been doubleteamed on over 53% of his pass-rush snaps, which is the highest rate in the NFL. That’s more than 1,100 double teams, which explains why he is so valuable. And given that Cincinnati also handed handed him a one-year, $28 million extension shows his value. And if that number doesn’t say the writing in the wall,  then the fact that they fulfilled his wish on wearing a certain jersey number sure will.

Lawrence was clear that he intended to wear No. 97 at his introductory press conference. The number was already taken by Shemar Stewart but Lawrence said he would speak to Stwart about the number. Well, the Bengals made the switch and moved Stewart to 94. That number had huge significance in Cincinnati, and was famously won by Geno Atkins. This also is a subtle sign of how quickly they have prioritised him in the organisation. But questions of his past season are now coming to the light. 

Why Dexter Lawrence left the Giants? 

Ahead of the 2026 draft, reports of Dexter Lawrence demanding a trade after being unhappy with the New York Giants started making the rounds. The biggest reason behind this decision was that the Giants went 7-27 over the past two years, and a player of Lawrence’s caliber was wasting years of his prime at a losing franchise. Moreover, Lawrence had seen how the organization had handled key departures before. 

Saquon Barkley and Leonard Williams both left and then went on to win Super Bowls in their new homes. Lawrence was getting antsy and was looking for a new contract way ahead of the 2025 season. He was looking for a change, and he got one and his words after the move, tell that he is more than thrilled. Plus he has more than one reason to celebrate actually.

“I’m ecstatic,” he said. “To be on this team with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, to be back with Tee (Higgins) again, Chase Brown … I told Tee, ‘We’ve got some unfinished business. ‘… That’s obviously our goal. Winning the Super Bowl.” 

That unfinished business runs deeper than just being a catchy thing to say. Lawrence and Higgins were once teammates at the Clemson Tigers football. They were a formidable core that helped get that national championship in 2018. So he is basically reuniting with people who share the same passion and winning culture. 

And as far as his slowdown goes because of his elbow, that’s just a blip in his career. In 2024, while Hendrickson led the league in sacks, Lawrence had the 8th-best pass rush grade. His run-stop win rate was not among the top 10, but he was still used exhaustively for double-teaming. Without him, the Giants might have finished worse than they did in 2025.

“The Giants’ 28th-ranked defense and 26th-ranked scoring defense would have fallen even further without Lawrence trying to fight through midseason firings at head coach and defensive coordinator as well as a personnel deficit that may not have set the group up for success,” Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein wrote.

Now, that chapter is closed, and a new one begins in Cincinnati.