Bengals place another big bet on Lawrence with one-year, $28M extension

Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II. Danielle Parhizkaran-Imagn Images

Bengals place another big bet on DT Dexter Lawrence II with one-year, $28M extension

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Apr 19, 2026 3:10 PM ET

The Cincinnati Bengals have given new defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II the second thing he wanted: a lucrative contract extension.

The New York Giants traded three-time Pro Bowler Lawrence to the Bengals for pick No. 10 in the 2026 NFL Draft on Saturday. After he passed his physical on Sunday, the Bengals signed him to a new deal.

Per ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Bengals signed Lawrence to a one-year, $28M extension. The new deal will keep him under contract with the Bengals through the 2028 season.

A long-term commitment to "Sexy Dexy" further illustrates the Bengals' confidence in the DT, who turns 29 on Nov. 12. Now, he must deliver for Cincinnati after one of the more underwhelming seasons of his career. Be skeptical that he will.

Compensation update: Now that he has passed his physical and the trade is official, newly-acquired DT Dexter Lawerence is signing a one-year, $28 million contract extension with the Bengals, per @WinSportsGroup

So in the end, Lawrence gets the trade he wanted while being… pic.twitter.com/GHT2HbAGah
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 19, 2026

Why the contract extension for Dexter Lawrence II is another big risk for the Bengals

After earning his second second-team All-Pro nod during the 2023 season, Lawrence's play has declined. The DT hasn't logged 53 tackles or more since then. He had 44 in 12 games in 2024 and 31 in 17 games in 2025.

He hasn't been as effective as a nose tackle (also known as a zero technique in certain fronts) over the past two seasons, either. Citing Next Gen Stats, NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno shared on X that Lawrence had five quarterback pressures on 83 pass-rush snaps when lining up as nose tackle from 2024-25 after recording 51 on 321 pass-rush snaps from 2022-23.

Dexter Lawrence from zero tech since 2022, per @NextGenStats:

2022-23 Seasons
- 51 QB pressures
- 321 pass rush snaps
- 15.9% pressure rate

2024-25 Seasons
- 5 QB pressures
- 83 pass rush snaps
- 6.0% pressure rate https://t.co/YRrr4LhX5F
— NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher) April 19, 2026

The dip could be tied to a left elbow injury Lawrence battled over the past two seasons. If it keeps bothering him in 2026, the DT's stats may continue to decline, and the Bengals may regret paying him a top salary at his position.

Lawrence is set to make $18.5M next season, making him the seventh-highest-paid interior defensive lineman in the league. Seattle Seahawks DL Leonard Williams, meanwhile, is scheduled to make $15.8M. The 2025 second-team All-Pro had more tackles (62) than Lawrence last season and helped the NFC West team win Super Bowl LX. The Giants, meanwhile, went 4-13.

After missing the playoffs for three straight seasons, the Bengals are feeling the pressure to field a much better team around star quarterback Joe Burrow. That has them making more high-risk moves, like trading for Lawrence and signing him to a contract extension. Time will tell if that pans out.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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