Bengals Made Dexter Lawrence Blockbuster Trade to Reopen Joe Burrow’s Super Bowl Window

Dexter Lawrence is a Bengal.

The 28-year-old was all smiles on Monday. He spent over 17 minutes talking to the media at Paycor Stadium just one day after Cincinnati finalized the biggest trade in Bengals history. They sent the 10th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the New York Giants in exchange for Lawrence.

It's the type of all-in move that fans have been asking for the Bengals to make for years.

Fans aren't alone. From former players to current ones, everyone agreed: the Bengals needed to do something to reopen their championship window.

Cincinnati hasn't made the playoffs since 2022. They're 24-27 over the past three seasons after making it to back-to-back AFC championship games in 2021 and 2022.

So why make this deal? Why give up the 10th pick after finishing 6-11 last season?

The answer is simple: They want to give Burrow a real chance at making another deep playoff run.

Joe Knows

Sep 15, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) gestures on the line of scrimmage against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Burrow knows they haven't been good enough to realistically compete for a Super Bowl in recent seasons.

Cincinnati went 9-8 and had one of the NFL's worst defenses in 2024. Burrow put up MVP-like numbers, but the Bengals struggled to stop anyone. They finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs, despite winning their final five games of the season.

The Bengals made it interesting down the stretch, but Burrow knew they needed to make significant additions on defense. The team went in another direction. After signing Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to contract extensions, they essentially punted in free agency. They brought in TJ Slaton and Oren Burks, but the veteran additions weren't enough to turn around one of the worst units in the NFL.

Burrow took note of that and made it clear that free agency was key to getting back into the championship picture.

"That’s of paramount importance," Burrow said when asked about free agency in January. "You have to identify where you’re weak and figure out a way to be strong in that area. That’s the NFL year in and year out. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. You have to attack that period with intent to get better."

The Bengals listened to their star quarterback. First, they went out and signed the top free agent safety in Bryan Cook. Then, they added Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen to help remake a defensive line room that needed new faces and more talent. They followed that up by signing Kyle Dugger a few weeks ago.

Despite the additions, it didn't feel like enough. They did lose Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai in free agency.

The addition of Lawrence makes the path to a championship that much more clear.

"Extremely rare," Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said of Lawrence. "He's at the top of the position group. It's not my space to sit here and argue who's No. 1, but I'd argue for him. So any time you can add a guy that like that. I feel like we have a lot of really good pieces on defense right now, and he's only gonna be one of those guys that make everyone around him better."

The Bengals have never given up a top 10 draft pick for a player in team history. Why do it now?

It's because they want to give Burrow a real chance to win. They know he's one of, if not the best quarterback in the NFL when healthy. It's no secret that his injuries are a factor. If he stays healthy like he did in 2024, this team should make a playoff run. Adding Lawrence puts them in position to do that this season.

His new teammates certainly believe in him.

“If you get a guy like that in your locker room, that's a whole team changer, not just a defensive changer," Amarius Mims said. "That's a whole team changer. I don't care what nobody say. That man's literally the best D-tackle in the NFL, if you ask me. I'm glad to be his teammate. I'd rather block him in practice than block him in the game. So hey, I'm all for it. I'm glad he's here."

Bottom Line

Burrow hasn't contacted Lawrence yet, but he's the reason the Pro Bowler is in Cincinnati.

The Bengals knew they needed to make a major move to get back into contention. They knew addressing a few needs in free agency wouldn't be enough to fix the defense. They needed a star.

A star that Burrow believes in. A star that the rest of the defense can be built around. It wasn't cheap, but they got their guy. Now it's up to Burrow and the rest of the players [and coaches] to hold up their end of the bargain.

It's time to win.

For more on Lawrence, watch his introductory press conference below:

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