Following a Super Bowl win in Year 1 away from the Dallas Cowboys, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is now reportedly on the fence about returning to the NFL and rejoining the Seattle Seahawks.
DeMarcus Lawrence proved to be correct when he made the decision to sign with the Seattle Seahawks last free agency after over 10 years of service to the Dallas Cowboys, saying while Dallas is his home, he'd never win a Super Bowl there.
Lawrence didn't err on the side of friendliness on his way out of Frisco, but as the Cowboys eventually finished 7-9-1 in 2025, "Tank" starred on a Seahawks defense powered a run to a Super Bowl LX win over the New England Patriots. He backed up every word.
In all, it was a storybook beginning to Lawrence's new three-year, $32.5 million contract with Seattle.
But now his future with his new team looms in the balance, according to ESPN's resident Seahawks insider Brady Henderson.
"I think one of the first questions they’ve got to figure out is whether or not DeMarcus Lawrence is coming back," Henderson said on Seattle Sports' 'Bump and Stacy' podcast discussing the Seahawks' offseason.
"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."
Lawrence's last season in Dallas in 2024 was plagued by injuries, but he returned to his regular reliable self in Seattle by starting all 16 games he played in and recording 6.0 sacks in 2025. He earned his fifth-career invite to the Pro Bowl.
The former second-round pick of the Cowboys in 2014 posted 61.5 sacks over 141 games, most notably recording 14.5 in 2017 for a top-five finish in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting.
His career has been defined by dependability and veteran locker room leadership, but at 33 years old, he could be considering stepping away now that he's reached the NFL's peak.
"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."
For Cowboys Nation, that possibility would mostly be met with gratitude for his time in silver and blue and continued congratulations for accomplishing what he set out to do after leaving Dallas. Many tie his story into yet another example of the Cowboys' organizational shortcomings, which are exemplified when former players see greater success than they ever had in Dallas as soon as they leave.
Lawrence's story cannot be shared without mentioning the striking similarities to former Cowboys great DeMarcus Ware, another defensive end who upon signing with the Denver Broncos. The same name and same position are fun tidbits of deja vu, as well.
Ware won a Super Bowl in Year 2 with the Broncos as Peyton Manning helped defeat Cam Newton's Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50, coincidentally the last Super Bowl that was held at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara before Lawrence's Seahawks won there this year.
After Lawrence signed with Seattle in April 2025, Cowboys owner was asked if his parting shots to the organization's culture or to former teammate Micah Parsons had or have any affect on him potentially landing in the illustrious Ring of Honor, where players' numbers and names are immortalized at AT&T Stadium. It's an honor Ware has received since his retirement from the game, which came after his third year in Denver in 2016.
"When asked about this, Jerry Jones was effusive in praise for DeMarcus Lawrence and the leadership he gave Cowboys," Yahoo Sports' Jori Epstein wrote.
"… Said these comments have 'zero' influence on his desire to put DeMarcus in Cowboys Ring of Honor."
For now, that conversation won't gain any more traction until Lawrence's career is over.
But considering the buzz coming out of the Pacific Northwest, that sure is beginning to look like it's coming sooner rather than later.