Commanders tried to sign former Cowboys star but bizarre reason stopped it

In the offseason, the Washington Commanders were busy reshaping their roster, making moves to bolster not only their pass protection but also their defense. One move that nearly happened was the signing of former Dallas Cowboys star DeMarcus Lawrence, a player who has spent much of his career causing problems for Washington in the NFC East.

On a recent episode of The Pivot, Lawrence reflected on his offseason, explaining just how close he came to hanging up his pads for good and why the Commanders were briefly in play.

As Lawrence told it, leaving the leauge was very much on his mind. “I was pretty close,” he admitted, before revealing that it was his family who gave him the push to keep going. “My kids and my wife weren’t ready for me to hang it up. They told me, like, why not give it another try?”

This offseason, the Washington Commanders attempted to sign former Dallas Cowboy DeMarcus Lawrence. Here’s an interesting perspective on why he chose not to sign with Washington. @TraporDive pic.twitter.com/Xi3whLRL2z
— Saint (@SaintWah) August 24, 2025

With his mindset now on playing again, Lawrence looked around the league for the right fit, and Washington stood out. Lawrence has battled Washington for nearly a decade. From his perspective, the franchise already had the pieces in place under new head coach Dan Quinn. “It was like, yeah, like, that’s a championship contender team,” he said.

But in the same breath, Lawrence made it clear why he didn’t pull the trigger with the Commanders. “Me personally, I’m not no bandwagon guy. I’m not going to sit here and jump on the team because y’all have a good opportunity to go to the championship.”

Instead, the veteran defender sought a situation where his presence would be more than a bonus. “It’s more of like, what am I needed for? If y’all already got that type of team? Like, y’all don’t need me, you know. So it’s all about me bringing my attitude and my personality to a team to help us get to where we need to be.”

October 8, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (90) after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

In the end, that decision took him to the Seattle Seahawks. Still, Lawrence’s comments may be even more important than his potential signing. His acknowledgment that the franchise is a “championship contender team” highlights how far the Commanders have come in a short time.

A new era under Quinn and new ownership has changed the perception of the team and is helping them climb their way back to relevance in the NFC East.

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