The Seattle Seahawks officially began offseason workouts without one of their top defenders last season. Veteran edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence didn’t attend the team’s practice sessions during the final week of May.
But Lawrence made clear to Seahawks fans on May 28 that he’s working hard on his own while also caring for his newborn child at home.
“Shout out to the fans that are concerned about me, just let them know D-Law is doing well,” Lawrence told Seahawks.com’s John Boyle. “I’m currently working back in Texas right now. I’ve got the newborn and a 1-year-old, so I can’t leave mom with all those responsibilities.
“She knows I’ll be back here for the season, and the coaching staff knows my game plan. We’re still working, I’m just not able to be here on a day-to-day basis.”
Lawrence is entering his 13th NFL season. He made his fifth Pro Bowl with 53 combined tackles, including 11 tackles for loss, 20 quarterback hits and six sacks during 2025.
His first season with the Seahawks, Lawrence also won his first Super Bowl.
DeMarcus Lawrence Addresses Desire to Play in 2026 NFL Season
The veteran edge rusher might have felt the need to deliver a message to the team and fan base after speculation surfaced this offseason about his future.
Over the past few months, pundits discussed the possibility of Lawrence retiring this spring. The edge rusher, though, made clear at the end of May that wasn’t very likely to happen.
“Being able to reach the top and understanding that my body still has more to give, I still have more to give,” added Lawrence. “And also, I had the most fun I’ve ever had playing football last year. So just taking all of that into consideration, knowing what I’d be leaving behind, the chances (of retirement) were very slim.”
Lawrence spent his first 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He experienced terrific personal success in Dallas, earning four Pro Bowl nominations. During 2017, Lawrence also made second-team All-Pro with 14.5 sacks.
The edge rusher had 10.5 sacks to follow that season in 2018.
It didn’t take Lawrence long, though, to adapt to the Pacific Northwest, where he advanced to the NFC championship for the first time ever. Lawrence arguably had his best individual season in years as well.
He posted his first 6-sack season since 2022 and had more quarterback hits in a single season in seven years.
During the postseason run, Lawrence had seven combined tackles, including three for loss, five quarterback hits and two sacks. He also caused three forced fumbles and two pass defenses.
Seahawks Edge Rushing Depth Entering 2026
With Lawrence set to return, the Seahawks will have about as deep of an edge rushing group as they did on the way to the Super Bowl last season.
Seattle lost veteran Boye Mafe to NFL free agency. The Seahawks didn’t add an edge rusher in the 2026 NFL Draft, but they signed Dante Fowler following the draft. Undrafted rookie Aidan Hubbard has received significant praise as a potential roster addition over the past month as well.
The last lingering question for the Seahawks edge rushers was whether Lawrence might suddenly retire. Although he’s not at offseason workouts, he will be with the team for the upcoming campaign.
Lawrence has posted 67.5 sacks in 157 NFL games over his career. He’s reached six sacks in a season six different times.
Seahawks’ DeMarcus Lawrence Fires Message on 2026 NFL Season