'Better Bring Your F****** S***' - Dexter Lawrence II Testing Bengals' Blocking Unit Early in Training Camp

Ted Karras is feeling the "stress" to start August.

Cincinnati's offensive line leader and starting center has been to war a few times with new mauler Dexter Lawrence II so far in training camp.

He discussed needing to "bring your f****** s***" against one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL on Saturday. The intensity is about to go up more on Monday when all of the pads come on.

Trench Stress

Cincinnati Bengals center Ted Karras (64) prepares to take the field for the first quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Karras broke it all down in front of his locker.

"The level of stress I feel at the line of scrimmage," Karras said about signs of seeing a great defensive line building. "So I just think we have a lot of great players. I think 97. I mean, he gets like one a day on me, which I got to eliminate. And then if you saw that last period, I'm just fighting to the end there. It's just him and me in the middle. So you better bring your f****** s*** going against Dexter Lawrence. That's awesome."

Karras is grateful, on the flip side, to be able to sharpen his game this early in the 2026 campaign against a talent like Lawrence.

"He's the best in the league, so I mean our Week 1 opponent's right there with him (Vita Vea), so that's good practice for him," Karras stated. "You've got to be ready to go every day. It's a little bit stressful in August for me, but at least I get to pass it off to our opponent center come September."

Cincinnati hasn't had a player this good in the middle since the prime days of Geno Atkins last decade. DJ Reader was a problem, but Lawrence seems like a different animal.

Iron is clearly sharpening iron in the most important area of the field for a football team: The line of scrimmage.

"Would like to eliminate the one he gets on me," Karras said about Lawrence's victories so far. "So we got to keep running. He's a good player. You can't break my spirit, but I'll take Sunday off. We'll go to Mass and then come back on Monday. Say a couple Hail Marys, but no, just for my family and my dad and his season and our season upcoming, and everyone to have safety and good health, and that we can do something for the city."

The type of "stress" Bengals fans love to see on a consistent veteran like Karras.

Check out his full comments below via CLNS Media's Mike Petraglia and him during a rep against Lawrence on Saturday:

“Better bring your f-ing shit when you’re going against Dexter Lawrence.” Ted Karras being texted daily against the stud DT. Karras compared it to going up against the 2016 Patriots in practice. pic.twitter.com/fPSXYFBe9y
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) August 1, 2026

"Come on 26!"

Ja'Sir Taylor came oh so close to an INT here.#Bengals @fox19 pic.twitter.com/LtT9GZF5Xs
— Gabi Sorrentino (@GSorrentinoTV) August 1, 2026

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