Former Clemson star Dexter Lawrence now has a new NFL team – and a big new contract extension as well.

Lawrence recently requested to be traded after he and the New York Giants couldn’t come to terms on a contract extension, and on Saturday, news broke that the Giants would be trading the All-Pro defensive tackle to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for the No. 10 overall pick in this week’s NFL Draft.

“Once I heard Cincinnati was in that option, I got excited immediately,” Lawrence said of his reaction to the trade, via the Bengals’ official social media account.

“I think I bring an attitude of dominance. I mean, that’s just who I am. I’m a dominant presence. I’m going to be the guy to help this defense go to the next level. … It’s a lot of excitement and a lot of juice just to be a part of this team and this organization.”

As part of the trade, the Bengals signed Lawrence to a new contract extension that makes him one of the NFL’s highest-paid D-linemen. It’s a one-year, $28 million extension, and he is now under contract with the Bengals for three years (through the 2028 season) at a total value of $70 million, adding to his previous deal.

Lawrence is certainly happy to be with the Bengals. He spoke about what it means to him that the team traded a top-10 pick to acquire him and immediately extended his contract.

“They wanted me here, and they appreciated the work that I’ve put in over the last seven seasons, and I appreciate that to them and I’m gonna do everything I can to show them that they didn’t waste it,” Lawrence said, via the team.

“I’m excited. I got a fire in me that I ain’t never had this fire before. So, I’m excited, and I’m excited to be a Bengal.”

By his lofty standards, the 6-foot-4, 340-pound Lawrence is coming off a down 2025 campaign, his seventh with the New York Giants. In 17 games (all starts), he tallied 31 total tackles, four tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, eight quarterback hits, four passes defended and an interception that he returned 37 yards.

Lawrence’s number of sacks, tackles and quarterback hits in 2025 were all career lows. However, there’s no doubt that Lawrence has established himself as a dominant presence on the interior of the Giants’ defensive line.

Prior to the 2025 season, Lawrence collected three straight Pro Bowl selections from 2022-24 and also earned All-Pro honors in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He became the first Giants player to be voted to three straight Pro Bowls since safety Landon Collins from 2016-18, and if he hadn’t suffered a season-ending elbow injury in 2024, he could have very well earned his third consecutive All-Pro selection as well.

Heading into his eighth NFL season in 2026, Lawrence has racked up 341 total tackles, 40 tackles for loss and 30.5 sacks in 109 career games (102 starts) since being selected by the Giants in the first round (17th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Lawrence now joins a Bengals team that includes a few other former Clemson stars – wide receiver Tee Higgins, defensive end Myles Murphy and linebacker Barrett Carter.

Lawrence and Higgins played together at Clemson for two seasons from 2017-18, and won a national championship together when the Tigers defeated Alabama at the end of the 2018 campaign.

Now, they’re looking to win a Super Bowl ring together, and that’s the message Lawrence had for Higgins.

“I’m ecstatic,” Lawrence told the Bengals’ official website. “To be on this team with Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, to be back with Tee again, Chase Brown …

“I told Tee, ‘We’ve got some unfinished business.’ … That’s obviously our goal. Winning the Super Bowl.”