DeMarcus Lawrence is going to hang it up after this year. The five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher told reporters at Seahawks camp on Thursday that 2026 will be his last NFL season.
Lawrence, 34, signed a two-year deal in Seattle last spring after 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He said he is at peace with the decision, that his body has told him it is time, and that he wants to leave the game on his own terms rather than have someone else make the call for him.
This is the right call at the right time. Lawrence has always been the kind of player who does the dirty work and never quite gets the credit. He has 61 career sacks, another 25 quarterback hits per season on top of that, and a reputation as one of the best run-defending ends of his era. Pass rushers who can also set the edge against outside zone at his level do not grow on trees.
The retirement conversation is going to focus on the numbers. It should focus on the impact. Lawrence was the guy the Cowboys leaned on for a decade to be their best defensive player, and even when the roster around him thinned out, he kept showing up. Ask any offensive tackle in the NFC East from 2016 to 2024. They will all tell you the same thing.
Seattle brought him in because they wanted a veteran voice on a defense that skews young. Lawrence has already been running walk-throughs with rookie defensive end Nyckoles Harbor and second-year linebacker Tyrice Knight. He is essentially a paid assistant coach with a helmet, which is exactly what you want from a 34-year-old edge on a one-year runway.
The bigger question now is what a “farewell tour” looks like for a defensive player who does not particularly enjoy attention. Lawrence has never been a media guy. He is not going to milk this. Do not expect a jersey exchange in every city. Do not expect him to cry on the sideline in Week 18.
Expect him to play hard, mind his own business, and walk away when the last game ends. That has been his signature for 12 years and it is not going to change now.
The Hall of Fame case is interesting. He is probably short of Canton on pure numbers. He is probably right on the edge on impact and durability. If Seattle makes a real playoff run this year and Lawrence has one signature moment in January, the case improves in a hurry.
Either way, he does not need the bronze bust to have had a great career. Twelve years, five Pro Bowls, a division-winning defensive anchor for one of the league’s marquee franchises. That is a career.
Lawrence will get his flowers this fall. He earned them.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
