Dexter Lawrence Opens up on What His Role is For The Bengals Heading Into 2026 Season

The Cincinnati Bengals have one goal on their mind as they prepare for the 2026 regular season: Win the big one.

The talk of the preseason has been about this Bengals roster being the most talented roster the franchise has had in quite some time. One addition to the team that has everyone turning their heads is defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.

Lawrence has already made a splash in training camp, including getting a little too close to quarterback Joe Burrow during a practice a clip that went mega viral.

The Bengals are counting on Lawrence to be the anchor of their defensive front. Recently, the new Bengals star got a chance to talk about his role this season during an interview with SiriusXM NFL.

Ready To Lead

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) stands with other player during the Cincinnati Bengals Training Camp 2026 at Kettering Practice Field in Cincinnati on Thursday, July 30, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"My job is to make everybody's job around me easier," Lawrence said. "Me causing pressure like that opens up a lot of room for the linebackers to flow, our three techniques to have those one on ones."

Everything Lawrence said about his role this upcoming season is the exact reason the Bengals front office brought him to Cincinnati.

The Bengals need a disrupter on the defensive line. The team that allowed the most yards per game on the ground last season went out and got one of the best defensive tackles in the game today. Alas, Lawrence can't do it alone.

Bengals, Assemble

If this defense is going to be the unit that many are hyping them up to be, then Lawrence will need some help from some other players on that defensive front.

One name that stands out the most is veteran defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. Lawrence has received a lot of praise this summer, and rightfully so, however, Allen is going to be playing just as important a part for this defense.

Allen enters his 10th NFL season and is bringing added veteran experience to a unit that desperately needs it.

The interior of this defensive line has the chance to be one of the most formidable duos in the league. Just like Lawrence mentioned in his interview, that should open up other areas of the defense to feast.

As things look at this moment, the Bengals' defense in 2026 could post a night-and-day difference from last year's unit.

"My job is to make everybody's job around me easier."@Bengals DT Dexter Lawrence discussed his role in the Cincinnati defense.

📻 https://t.co/1S6vayaSYT #Bengals | #WhoDey | @SolomonsWisdom | @DLInTheTrenches pic.twitter.com/w3wLW4RA04
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) August 10, 2026

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