Dexter Lawrence Reacts to Being Named Bengals Captain in First Year

Lawrence has made a major impact since the Bengals traded for him in April.

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) walks the sideline in the second quarter of the NFL Preseason Week 3 game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cincinnati Bengals at Lincoln Financial Field in Philladelphia on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The impact of Dexter Lawrence for the Bengals was further highlighted when the team named him a team captain in his first season.

Lawrence remained naive when he learned the news, a mindset he says helps him grow mentally and physically.

"I'm always naive when it comes to facts of things, so I think that helps me and my mindset grow," Lawrence said of his reaction to being named captain.

Entering his fifth consecutive season as team captain, Lawrence said that staying transparent with his teammates and driving a sense of urgency to win helped him become the leader he is today. He also named former teammates Brian Burns, and Saquon Barkley during his time in New York as leaders he learned a lot from.

"I try to be genuine with everybody in this locker room because I care about them, and I care about this team, and I wanna win, it just happens naturally," Lawrence said. "I think you just take things from each one of those guys and implement it to yourself and keep growing, guys like Brian Burns is a great leader, Saquan is a great leader, you just pick and choose things that they do well good and try to implement it."

Lawrence Consistently Earned Praise from Coaches

Aug 13, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) runs onto the field before the game against the Detroit Lions at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Zac Taylor exclaimed his confidence in this season's group of captains and noted the large volume of players who received votes as the most he has seen in Cincinnati. He also discussed Lawrence's impact on the field and noted that they plan to isolate him in one-on-one situations on the defensive line.

"It's a good group, I think this year, probably more so than any year, a lot of guys received votes," Taylor said. "You just have to give him so much attention, we dealt with it all through training camp, he just affects every play you got and it gives other people a great opportunity for one-on-ones, you can get him one on one, then it puts a lot of pressure on the quarterback and the offense in general."

Al Golden also sang Lawrence's praises on the field and as a leader, touting his energy and leadership as an example of elite ability for everyone in the locker room.

"He's a guy who brings energy and leadership and consistency every day, he's always out there early, if he's not the first, he's one of the top-three out there every day," Golden said. "It's year eight for him, he's setting a really, really good example for a lot of the guys in our locker room in terms of what it takes to be among the elite."

Lawrence is the type of leader that his defense has been missing for so long. He has brought a consistent level of physicality and urgency to the unit, and now, as captain, we will finally see how that translates into meaningful games.

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