The Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks have a number of key decisions on the horizon regarding pending free agents and potential contract extensions.
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They also may be waiting on a major decision from one of their top players.
During an appearance on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy on Monday, ESPN Seahawks reporter Brady Henderson said retirement could be a possibility for five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher and 12-year NFL veteran DeMarcus Lawrence.
Lawrence still has two years left on the three-year contract he signed with Seattle last March, which is worth up to $42 million. However, he’s set to turn 34 in April. His wife, Sasha, recently gave birth to their sixth child. And now, he has a Lombardi Trophy on his resume.
“I think one of the first questions they’ve got to figure out is whether or not DeMarcus Lawrence is coming back,” Henderson said. “… That’s a very real question. And the Seahawks don’t know. I think people in DeMarcus Lawrence’s camp, at least when I checked a few days ago, still were not sure.
“This is a guy who’s 33 years old. His wife just gave birth to (their sixth child). And he just won a Super Bowl for the first time in his career. So if ever there was a situation where a guy could decide to ride off into the sunset, it could be this one.”
Lawrence, who spent his first 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, was one of the most impactful players on the Seahawks’ top-ranked scoring defense this past season.
During the regular season, he filled the stat sheet with 6.0 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and two fumble return touchdowns. He then added 2.0 sacks and three forced fumbles during Seattle’s postseason run. And with his physical 6-foot-3, 254-pound frame, he played a massive role in the Seahawks’ elite run defense, which allowed a league-low 3.7 yards per carry. According to Pro Football Focus, he ranked No. 2 out of 119 edge rushers in run defense grading.
Lawrence also was an invaluable leader who head coach Mike Macdonald praised multiple times during the offseason for his work ethic and intensity in practice.
During Tuesday’s Blue 88 segment on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, former NFL quarterback Brock Huard shared his reaction to what Henderson said about Lawrence weighing retirement.
“I think after the season, there was some strong positive encouragement that he was coming back,” Huard said. “After the glow of the Super Bowl, the parade where he was shirtless and one of the stars, and just all of the excitement of it, like, yeah man, why would I not want to run it back? Why would I not want to be a part of this team that is young and hungry, and the love for Mike Macdonald?
“Well, you win that Super Bowl and you have your sixth child as well,” he added. “And after the euphoria of all of the high comes down, yeah, I think you look in the mirror and go, can I do that again? Can I bring that same (intensity)?”
Huard added that the Seahawks will need a decision from Lawrence soon, with the NFL’s free agency negotiating window beginning on March 9.
If Lawrence does retire, then suddenly edge rusher could become a massive need for the Seahawks, especially with Boye Mafe now a pending free agent and veteran Uchenna Nwosu set to carry a nearly $20 million salary cap hit for 2026, according to Over The Cap. Outside of those three, Derick Hall was the only other edge rusher who played significant snaps for the Seahawks last season.
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