Seahawks’ DeMarcus Lawrence says 2026 will be his final season

Seattle Seahawks defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said 2026 will be the final season of his decorated 13-year NFL career.

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“This will be my last year,” the five-time Pro Bowler told Yahoo Sports senior reporter Jori Epstein on Friday. “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.”

Lawrence, 34, told Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy last month that he came “very close” to retiring this offseason after winning the first Super Bowl of his career. Lawrence’s wife, Sasha, also gave birth to their family’s sixth child shortly after Seattle captured the Lombardi Trophy.

But ultimately, the desire to chase back-to-back championships fueled him to return.

“It’s easy to take over a kingdom, but the hard part is when you’ve got the kingdom and now it’s time to defend it,” Lawrence told Bump and Stacy. “Are you going to sit back and eat the fruits of your labor? Or are you gonna start building up your walls and making sure everything is structurally prepared to defend it?

“I didn’t want to go out on an easy way. I wanted to make sure I go out on top with a bang to let the whole world know this wasn’t some facade – this was something real.”

Lawrence, who spent his first 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, signed a three-year, $42 million contract with Seattle in March 2025 and was one of the most impactful players on the Seahawks’ top-ranked scoring defense last season season.

During the regular season, Lawrence 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.

With his physical 6-foot-3, 254-pound frame, Lawrence also 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 is one of 10 returning defensive starters for Seattle.

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