Seahawks’ Pro Bowler talks about what drew him to sign with Seattle

Seattle edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence is no stranger to the Pro Bowl. He made the game four times as a Dallas Cowboy, both times back-to-back, in 2017-2018 and 2022-2023. I have no doubt that a Pro Bowl berth at 33 years old, coming off a major injury that cut his 2024 season short, tastes a little sweeter, but Lawrence knows all about that honor.

However, in his first year as a Seattle Seahawk, Lawrence is fighting to taste something he never got to sample as a Cowboy. A Super Bowl team. And with Seattle in a position to hold the top NFC seed by simply winning out, he’s got a great opportunity to get exactly what he expected.

In a media press conference on Christmas Eve, DeMarcus Lawrence was asked what he expected when he signed with the Seahawks in the offseason. Lawrence responded that it was to be part of a ‘Super Bowl team’, which is what he indicated back when he signed in the offseason.

Some of his statements rubbed former teammate Micah Parsons the wrong way, sparking a minor war of words on social media. Parsons was traded to the Packers a few months later, and looking at where things sit now (Seattle in control of the NFC’s top seed, Dallas eliminated from the postseason entirely), it’s hard to contest Lawrence’s sentiments.

Lawrence had a fantastic career in Dallas, amassing 61.5 sacks over eleven seasons, but true playoff success eluded him. He was part of squads that won a single playoff game in 2014, 2018, and 2022, but never advanced past the divisional round. The 2016 Cowboys were the #1 seed, but went one-and-down at the hands of the Green Bay Packers.

If Seattle can take the top seed and then win just one playoff game, Lawrence will be further than he’s ever been before. One more win after that, and then it’ll be exactly what he signed up for, a literal Super Bowl team. Given Seattle hadn’t made the Super Bowl since the 2014 season, and had missed the playoffs two straight seasons, it was quite a bold call.

Not only is Lawrence on the verge of getting just what he signed up for, but he’s been a massive part of it as well, with superb play against the run, five sacks, 37 pressures, and two defensive touchdowns. It’s hard to imagine Seattle being in this position without him, and while his Pro Bowl berth was perhaps somewhat unconventional, I feel it’s well-deserved.

Lawrence expresses excitement in the press conference about getting into the Pro Bowl, something that netted him a $500,000 bonus, but something tells me he’s even more excited about the prospect of going on that deep playoff run that he never got to go on in Dallas. And with just a few more wins, he’ll have that as well.

Be careful, DeMarcus, he's just a kid! — Tennessee quarterback Cam Ward (1) eludes the pressure of Seattle defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (0) during their game. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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