One Last Ride: DeMarcus Lawrence Confirms 2026 Is His Final Season
DeMarcus Lawrence isn't just playing another season. He's playing his last.
The Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker confirmed to Yahoo Sports that his 13th NFL season will be the final chapter of a monster career. No more hints. No more 'maybe.' The man just put a hard deadline on his own legacy.
The Almost-Retirement That Almost Happened
Lawrence had already been dropping heavy hints all summer. After the Seahawks took down Super Bowl LX in February, he openly admitted he was seriously considering walking away on top. But now it's official.
"It was a tough process," Lawrence told Yahoo. "But through the grace of God, I'm able to play another year and soak it all up one more good time before I hang it up."
Last week, he told local reporters he "kind of had my mind made up" that a Seattle title would be his exit cue. But instead of riding off into the sunset, he found himself pulled back for one more ride.
"But I kind of had a bittersweet feeling in my heart, understanding that with the type of team that we had, we should have been where we were last year. This is where the hard part begins, staying on top."
A Career Reloaded in Seattle
At 34 years old, Lawrence is already playing with house money. He nearly retired after his 11-year run with the Dallas Cowboys ended last offseason. Instead, he signed with Seattle in March and became a hammer in the league's top-ranked scoring defense.
After playing just four games in 2024 with Dallas, Lawrence flipped the script in 2025-26 — racking up six sacks and a pair of defensive touchdowns in 16 regular-season games. That earned him a fifth Pro Bowl nod and, more importantly, his first-ever trip past the divisional round of the playoffs.
Then he turned up the heat in the postseason: sacks in each of Seattle's first two playoff games, capped by a Super Bowl LX victory over the New England Patriots.
The Target Is On His Back — And He Loves It
Lawrence isn't sneaking up on anyone now. He knows what comes with being the champ.
"They say it's no fun when the rabbit has the gun," he told reporters. "We're the ones with the dot on our backs. I just want to see how that feels, see the different obstacles that we can overcome, are we going to stay together in those tough moments throughout a season and just be a part of this brotherhood."
Drafted in the second round out of Boise State back in 2014, Lawrence has piled up 67.5 sacks over 12 seasons. Now he's got one more year to add to the tally — and he's not planning to waste a second.
Buckle up, Seattle. The last ride is going to be loud.