DeMarcus Lawrence didn’t walk away from the NFL this offseason after a Super Bowl season in Seattle, but he came close. After helping the Seahawks win it all in his first year with the team, the 34-year-old said the idea of retiring weighed heavily on him before he ultimately chose to return for one more season in 2026.
The push to come back wasn’t just about chasing one more ring. It was about wanting a better feeling than the one he got after lifting the Lombardi Trophy in February. Lawrence said the moment fell short of what he expected.
“It did not live up to my expectations on how I would be feeling once I was able to hold that Lombardi Trophy up,” Lawrence told Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob on Wednesday about winning it all with the Hawks in February. “It was not the excitement and the thrill that I was looking forward to. So with that happening also, it was like, well, I mean, if this is it, then shoot, in order to actually feel it, you got to probably do it again.”
Lawrence still believes the Seahawks can get back there. He said he had a strong sense last year, when he arrived in Seattle after 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, that the team was capable of something special.
That feeling only got stronger once the season turned into a championship run. Now, even with Seattle sitting at 3-3, he’s convinced the ingredients are still there for another title chase.
“It was something that was deeply on my heart last year coming to Seattle. It was something that I was feeling deeply that we were going to accomplish that dream, and to see everything come to fruition, it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders,” he said.
“And then on top of that, it’s like, OK, now we have an opportunity to come back and do something special - not just win one Super Bowl but win two. So even though that road is going to look a little different, we still got the players and the abilities to go make that happen, so why not go do it?”
He also made it clear this is the end of the road. Lawrence said the toughest part was deciding whether to play this season at all, and once that was settled, he was set on this being his final NFL year. Family is the reason, with six children waiting back home and his focus shifting to them after football.
“The tough decision was deciding if I was going to do this year,” he said, “but once I got over that hump, it was pretty set in stone that this will be the last year. Shoot man, I got a household full of babies, so it’s time for me to transition and put all my focus on them.”
In Other News...
Rams Offense Suddenly Has Another Injury Scare Seahawks Fans Will Notice
Puka Nacuas latest trip to the sideline is the kind of development the Seahawks have learned to watch closely whenever the Rams start stacking up injuries. The Los Angeles receiver left practice early because of a calf issue, and it comes at a rough time for a Rams offense that already lost Davante Adams to a hamstring injury. Nacua has still been a central piece of what Los Angeles wants to do this season, even with his own missed games and the stop-and-start health battle that has followed him.
For Seattle, the concern is less about one practice than what it could mean for a divisional opponent already trying to hold things together. The Rams have also been managing injuries on the defensive side, which has added to the uneven feel around their season. If Nacuas calf becomes another lingering problem, it would only deepen the uncertainty around a team the Seahawks will be paying attention to very closely. [Read more 🡒]
Sam Darnold Puts Seahawks Offense Under Pressure Before Chiefs Test
The Seahawks have spent the better part of 10 days trying to clean up an offense that has too often left too much to fix on the fly. With Kansas City up next, Sam Darnold said the focus has to be on consistency and preparation, the kind of basic work that becomes even more important when the schedule delivers a defense as demanding as the Chiefs.
Darnolds own play has made the urgency impossible to ignore, with seven interceptions in five games leaving Seattle searching for steadier execution at quarterback. The challenge only grows with Steve Spagnuolos defense waiting on the other side, a test that will show whether the Seahawks extra time off translated into real answers or just another week of concern. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Get Encouraging Injury News With A Few Sunday Concerns Left
The Seahawks got a healthier-looking practice report as the week wound down, with Anthony Bradford and Zach Charbonnet both taking full reps. For a team still trying to piece together its best lineup, that kind of participation matters, especially on the offensive line and in the backfield, where availability can change the feel of a game plan quickly.
There were still a few Sunday concerns left on the board, though, with Connor OToole and Drake Thomas missing practice because of injuries. Seattles own injury picture is improving, but the larger matchup also comes with its own questions, as the Chiefs enter with most of their core players practicing fully while a handful of others remain unavailable or unlikely to go. [Read more 🡒]