When the Cincinnati Bengals gave up the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to acquire Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants, they were looking for a dominant defensive tackle who could transform their defense. But the three-time Pro Bowler brings something else to Cincinnati: A voice of encouragement for quarterback Joe Burrow.
Lawrence recently revealed the message he regularly delivers to his superstar teammate, and it speaks to the respect he has for the Bengals quarterback.
“I was always whispering in his ear and saying, ‘Be legendary, be a legend,'” Lawrence admitted. “That’s who you are, and you don’t have to come out of yourself. Just be you, and that’s what he does.'”
Those words carry a lot of weight coming from a player who spent seven seasons establishing himself as one of the NFL’s top interior defensive linemen before joining Cincinnati in April.
And Burrow certainly lives up to that billing. After throwing five touchdown passes and running for the game-winner in overtime against Tennessee, Burrow followed with three more touchdowns in the air and another rushing in Sunday’s 34-17 win over Atlanta in Madrid, extending Cincinnati’s winning streak to four games.
Based on his eight games to date, Burrow is on a near historic pace of around 5,070 passing yards and 49 passing touchdowns over a full 17-game season. Only two quarterbacks in NFL history have passed for more than 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns: Peyton Manning in 2013 and Patrick Mahomes in 2018.
Lawrence was brought to Cincinnati to help the Bengals win games by strengthening their defense. But his words indicate he also understands something important about the quarterback on the other side of the ball.
Burrow didn’t need to reinvent himself to become a legend. He just needs to keep Joe Burrow.