Dalton Risner sends warning to NFL about Bengals defense

While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow made it known that he is "tired of saying, 'Next year, next year, next year,'" and is "trying to manifest" the Bengals winning the Super Bowl in February 2027. 

According to Bengals guard Dalton Risner, Cincinnati may now feature enough talent on defense to finally help Burrow notch the one win that has eluded him since the signal-caller entered the league as the first overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. 

Dalton Risner to opposing teams: Good luck dealing with Bengals defense

"Good luck," Risner said about opposing offenses having to go up against the Bengals defense in future games, per Matt Levine of Heavy. "Welcome to our world. That’s what we’ve been doing for three and a half weeks."

This past spring, the Bengals received praise from unnamed executives for moves the team made to bolster its defense. Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, safety Bryan Cook, safety Kyle Dugger and edge-rusher Boye Mafe are among some of the big names now on the Cincinnati roster. 

Of course, the most noteworthy defense-related transaction completed by the Bengals this offseason involved acquiring star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II from the New York Giants ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. Per numerous accounts, Lawrence has been his dominant self during summer workouts.