Bengals Sign Defensive Tackle Dexter Lawrence II To One-Year, $28 Million Extension

The Cincinnati Bengals finalized a blockbuster trade for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II and then moved quickly to lock him into a new deal, signing him to a one-year, $28 million extension after he passed his physical.

“Bengals, Dexter Lawrence trade official, plus a $28M extension Dexter Lawrence is officially a member of the Cincinnati Bengals”

Bengals Wire

ESPN reported that Lawrence “passed his physical with the Cincinnati Bengals and has signed a one-year, $28 million extension,” citing the Win Sports Group and ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday.

Bengals Wire

The Bengals acquired Lawrence from the New York Giants for the No. 10 pick in this week’s draft, and ESPN said the move puts him under contract with Cincinnati for the next three seasons.

ESPN also quoted Lawrence saying, “I know they gave up a lot for me, and I appreciate that,” and added, “I don't take that for granted. I have a fire in me.”

Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin framed the signing as part of a defensive rebuild, saying, “Dexter fits the vision we have on our defense and will also elevate others around him.”

The trade’s financial terms were also detailed by NBC Sports, which confirmed Lawrence agreed to a one-year contract extension worth $28 million and that he is “under contract through the 2028 season.”

NBC Sports further broke down the contract, including a “$10 million roster bonus on the day of execution of the deal” and a “2028 base salary: $21.75 million,” culminating in “a three-year, $70 million deal with $42 million leftover and $28 million in new money.”

The Lawrence deal is rooted in a contract standoff with the New York Giants, and multiple reports describe how the trade became the solution after negotiations stalled.

ESPN said the Giants traded Lawrence after “they had reached an impasse in negotiations on a new deal,” and noted that Lawrence “requested a trade after seven years with New York.”

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ESPN also stated that the Giants now own the rights to the No. 5 and No. 10 picks in the first round, while the Bengals sent the No. 10 overall pick to New York for Lawrence.

ClutchPoints described the same basic sequence, saying Cincinnati “sent the No. 10 overall pick to the New York Giants for star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence,” and that Lawrence “had requested a trade away from the Big Apple because he and the Giants had failed to agree on a new contract extension.”

The Cincinnati Enquirer added a specific timeline, saying the Bengals announced April 19 a one-year contract extension for Lawrence through the 2028 season, and it also reported that Lawrence’s camp declined the Giants’ efforts to retain him.

ProFootballRumors provided additional contract context, stating Lawrence was due “$42MM over the final two seasons” of his Joe Schoen-constructed contract and that the $28MM add-on made it “a three-year, $70MM agreement.”

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was also cited by other outlets for the physical and extension, including the Stripe Hype post that quoted Schefter’s X update: “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.”

Across the reporting, the common thread is that Lawrence wanted a fresh start, and ProFootballRumors said “Lawrence’s camp did not even make a counteroffer,” reinforcing that the trade and extension were tightly linked.

The Bengals’ decision to trade for Lawrence was presented as a targeted response to defensive problems, with ESPN tying the move to a need to strengthen the line of scrimmage and improve a defense that “struggled last season.”

ESPN said Cincinnati missed the playoffs for the third year in a row and that the Lawrence acquisition “significantly changes the tenor of the Bengals' moves,” shifting the offseason from relatively quiet to a more aggressive posture.

ESPN also described Lawrence’s production and recent dip, noting he is a Pro Bowl selection from 2022 through 2024 and was named second-team All-Pro in 2022 and 2023, while also reporting “career lows in sacks (0.5) and tackles (33).”

The ESPN report also emphasized that the trade is rare for Cincinnati, stating, “this is the first time the Bengals have traded a top-10 pick for a player in the common draft era (since 1966).”

ClutchPoints similarly framed the trade as a swing to fix “their defensive woes,” and said Lawrence is a “two-time All-Pro” with “30.5 career sacks and 40 career tackles for loss.”

The Cincinnati Enquirer connected the extension to the team’s broader defensive plan, saying the Bengals can pair Lawrence with Jonathan Allen at defensive tackle, with “Kris Jenkins Jr. and BJ Hill, Lawrence's former Giants teammate, also in the mix at DT.”

ESPN also listed other offseason additions, including signing former Seattle Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe to a three-year, $60 million deal and adding former Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Jonathan Allen on a two-year, $25 million deal.

ESPN further noted Cincinnati signed former Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook (three years, $40.25 million), and it said those moves left the offseason “relatively quiet” until Lawrence’s acquisition.

In the same vein, ProFootballRumors described the financial and roster logic, saying the Bengals’ “uncharacteristic aggressiveness” was justified by Lawrence’s potential impact on a defense that has undermined the club’s chances of qualifying for the playoffs in recent seasons.

While ESPN and other outlets reported the headline extension value, NBC Sports provided the most granular contract structure, listing roster bonuses, base salaries, and option and workout bonuses across 2026, 2027, and 2028.

NBC Sports said Lawrence receives a “$10 million roster bonus on the day of execution of the deal” and set the “2026 base salary: $11 million,” along with “2026 per game active roster bonuses: $1 million total.”

Cincinnati Bengals

The same report listed “2027 option bonus: $8.25 million, to be exercised between the first and tenth day of the 2027 league year,” and it also specified “2027 base salary: $15.5 million” and “2027 workout bonus: $250,000.”

For 2028, NBC Sports said “2028 base salary: $21.75 million,” with “2028 per-gamer active roster bonuses: $1 million total” and “2028 workout bonus: $250,000.”

It then summarized the overall financial commitment as “a three-year, $70 million deal with $42 million leftover and $28 million in new money.”

ProFootballRumors echoed the three-year total, stating the $28MM add-on makes it “a three-year, $70MM agreement,” and it also described Lawrence’s average annual value as “$23.33MM average annual value.”

ESPN’s report said the Bengals announced the extension but “did not disclose financial terms,” which makes NBC Sports’ breakdown particularly notable for the level of detail.

Other outlets also described the extension’s length and timing, with the Bengals expected to offer a long-term deal after the physical, according to a tweet cited by the Cincinnati Enquirer, and the Big Lead reported that the extension keeps Lawrence under contract with Cincinnati for the next three seasons.

Even where outlets differed in emphasis, the contract’s core elements—one-year, $28 million new money, and a total three-year, $70 million agreement—were consistent across the reporting.

The extension and trade set up a near-term test for Cincinnati’s defense, with multiple outlets tying the move to expectations that the team can improve quickly and compete.

“Bengals expected to offer Dexter Lawrence long-term deal | Report Among notable reactions to the Cincinnati Bengals' trade of the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the New York Giants for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence was a tweet from NFL insider Jordan Schultz that the Bengals are expected to offer Lawrence a "significant long-term deal" after his physical”

Cincinnati Enquirer

ESPN said Cincinnati is “looking to quickly improve a defense that struggled last season as the team missed the playoffs for the third year in a row,” and it described the offseason strategy as strengthening the line of scrimmage.

Cincinnati Enquirer

The Big Lead framed the deal as a “win-win,” with Lawrence securing “the contract he has sought” while Cincinnati adds “much-needed strength to its defense,” and it said attention turns to “the long-term outcome of the trade.”

ClutchPoints emphasized that Lawrence provides “pass rush juice” after Cincinnati “just lost standout edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to the Baltimore Ravens in free agency,” and it described Lawrence as “ready to win now in the middle of their defense.”

ProFootballRumors added that league sources “still believe the Giants did well to land the No. 10 choice,” pointing to concerns about Lawrence’s “age and conditioning” and the need to keep him on a “snap count.”

Sports Illustrated’s account also highlighted that Lawrence’s departure from the Giants came after years of frustration, noting he was “one of the Giants’ 2019 three first-round draft picks” and that New York has won “just 13 games” since 2023, which it said led to the dismissal of head coach Brian Daboll.

Even with those concerns, the reporting consistently places Lawrence at the center of Cincinnati’s defensive overhaul, with ESPN listing additions like Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe, and Bryan Cook, and the Cincinnati Enquirer adding that Kris Jenkins Jr. and BJ Hill are “also in the mix at DT.”

Looking forward, the contract structure itself suggests Cincinnati is betting on performance through 2028, since NBC Sports said Lawrence is “under contract through the 2028 season” and included a “2028 base salary: $21.75 million.”