DeMarcus Lawrence is ready to make 2026 his final ride.
The Seahawks defensive end and former Boise State standout said Friday that he plans to retire after the 2026 NFL season, ending a career that has stretched across 13 seasons and included a championship run in Seattle.
“This will be my last year,” Lawrence told Yahoo Sports. “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 arrived in Seattle last offseason after spending his first 11 NFL seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. The move paid off immediately. He helped push the Seahawks to the NFL West title and a victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
The veteran edge rusher has built one of the strongest NFL résumés among Boise State alumni. In the regular season, Lawrence has piled up 503 total tackles, 67.5 sacks, 146 quarterback hurries, 24 forced fumbles and 11 fumble recoveries. He also has five career playoff sacks, with two coming during Seattle’s Super Bowl run last season.
Before he was an NFL mainstay, Lawrence took a winding path to Boise State. The South Carolina native spent two years at Butler Community College in Kansas before signing with the Broncos. In two seasons at Boise State, he posted 120 total tackles, including 34 for loss, along with 20 sacks and three forced fumbles.
Dallas drafted Lawrence in the second round, No. 34 overall, in the 2014 NFL Draft. Over 11 seasons with the Cowboys, he made four Pro Bowls and earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2017.
Lawrence said before the Super Bowl that his decision to leave Dallas during the 2025 offseason came down to timing and opportunity.
“I (saw) Dallas was going through a transition, letting go of some of their older players and starting to try to rebuild, and I understood that. But I also understood for me that my window of opportunity of playing football was closing,” Lawrence said before the Super Bowl.
“So that’s truly what I meant by that statement is, I won’t win in Dallas because my window of opportunity is closing. I only have a couple of years, three, four, how many ever the Lord blessed me with.”
Lawrence wasn’t the only Boise State product contributing to Seattle’s title season. Running back George Holani had two carries for six yards and one reception for seven yards in the Super Bowl, and he is back with the Seahawks for the 2026 season.
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