Dexter Lawrence calls himself “blessed” after “abrupt” trade to Bengals

TL;DR

Dexter Lawrence expressed feeling 'blessed' after his abrupt trade to the Cincinnati Bengals, emphasizing his eagerness to contribute to the team's defense. He described the trade process as stressful but felt at ease after making the decision to join the Bengals.

Key points

Dexter Lawrence traded to Cincinnati Bengals
Described the trade as 'abrupt' and stressful
Feels 'blessed' and eager to contribute
Wants to help young linebackers on the team
No hard feelings towards the New York Giants

Dexter LawrenceCincinnati BengalsNew York GiantsB.J. Hill

Munich, Germany - November 10: Dexter Lawrence of New York Giants looks on during the NFL Munich Game 2024 between New York Giants and Carolina Panthers at Allianz Arena on November 10, 2024 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images via Getty Images) | DeFodi Images via Getty Images In his first press conference since being traded to the Cincinnati Bengals, defensive tackle went out of his way to share how happy and “blessed” he feels to have the opportunity to play with former teammate B.J. Hill along with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Lawrence called the trade process “stressful”. “I prayed a lot,” he said when looking back. He described the situation as being dangled by a string. He called the trade “abrupt” and said he didn’t know about it until last Saturday, the day it happened. Lawrence said he then prayed with his wife to make the right decision and felt ease when he decided to become a Bengal. Because the Bengals gave up a premium pick in the Draft, Lawrence feels he needs to repay them with his play on the field. “I owe it to them to go out there and dominate on that field,” he said. In other positive news, Lawrence said he wants to make things easy on the Bengals’ young linebackers. “Just get the call in and hit the gap,” he said with a laugh. Perhaps most impressively, Lawrence showed no hard feelings toward the New York Giants organization or even new coach John Harbaugh. He was graceful and measured in speech. The big defensive tackle came across as a confident person who is all about business and eager to elevate Cincinnati’s defense.

Q&A

Why did Dexter Lawrence call his trade to the Bengals 'abrupt'?

Lawrence described the trade as 'abrupt' because he was unaware of it until the day it happened, which added to the stress of the situation.

What does Dexter Lawrence feel he owes the Bengals after the trade?

Lawrence feels he owes the Bengals his best performance on the field, stating, 'I owe it to them to go out there and dominate.'

How does Dexter Lawrence feel about his former team, the New York Giants?

Lawrence expressed no hard feelings towards the Giants or their new coach, John Harbaugh, maintaining a graceful attitude during his press conference.