After 11 years with the Dallas Cowboys, DeMarcus Lawrence is looking for a fresh start with the Seattle Seahawks. The 33-year-old will bring a steady veteran presence to the defense and wants to show that he still has plenty left in the tank.
On March 12, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo reported that Lawrence signed a three-year deal worth up to $42 million with the Seahawks.
With the 2025 NFL season fast approaching, The Athletic’s Dave Helman questions whether this signing will pan out for Seattle.
“He was a very underrated player for a large swath of his career,” Helman said on “The Athletic Football Show.” “I’m not convinced that that’s still the case. I mean, it’s 2025 at this point. DeMarcus Lawrence is 33 years old. He didn’t sign the biggest deal in the world.
From what I can gather, the Seahawks structured it in a smart way. It’s like a three-year, $30 million deal, but $18 million of it is guaranteed. They can get out of this after a year if it seems like the game has passed to DeMarcus Lawrence by. But that’s the big question for me.”
Is DeMarcus Lawrence Over the Hill?
Helman wants to see if Lawrence can replicate his production from 2018 and 2022 before losing his prominence to Micah Parsons, as the Penn State product would become a household name for the Cowboys.
“I’m just curious to see [if he’s] anything like the guy from, we’ll say, 2018 to 2022,” Helman added. “And he was pretty good in 2023 as well. What’s left in the tank? Because if something’s there, again, that’s super fun for the Seahawks‘ pass rush. It’s great for their run defense.
“It’s just another guy Mike Macdonald can use in a lot of ways. You can probably kick him inside at times if you want to. If there’s not a whole lot there, then $18 million, all right, we’ll find our answer to this next year. So I’m just curious to see what he looks like at this stage of his career.”
Why Did DeMarcus Lawrence Sign With the Seahawks?
During an appearance on “The Pivot Podcast,” which premiered on August 24, Lawrence revealed why he decided to join Seattle as the next phase of his career.
“(My family was) like, ‘That’s a championship contender team.’ Me, personally, I’m not no bandwagon guy,” Lawrence said.
“I’m not going to sit here and jump on a team because y’all have a good opportunity to go to the championship. It’s more of, what am I needed for? If you already got that type of team, y’all don’t need me. It’s all about me bringing my attitude, my personality to a team to help us get where we need to be.”
Moreover, Lawrence also stated that he nearly didn’t sign with the Seahawks as the veteran pass rusher pondered retirement after his chapter with the Cowboys ended.
“I was pretty close,” Lawrence added. “But … my kids and my wife weren’t ready for me to hang it up. They told me, ‘Why not give it another try?'”
Former Cowboys Star’s Fit With Seahawks Draws Major Concern