RENTON, Wash. – Considering he’s the oldest of the older guys inside the Seahawks locker room, this week is pretty special for DeMarcus Lawrence. At 33, almost 34, there might not be any more chances to play in a championship game.
This week is also new for Lawrence. Despite 11 previous seasons in the NFL, and all of them in Dallas where the expectations are never lacking, this is the first time in his career reaching the conference championship round of the playoffs.
“It’s a great thing because we get to live in moments like these when everybody is focused, everybody is determined, all focused on that same goal,” Lawrence said this week. “Everybody wins and this is the result of that process.”
Lawrence’s first chance at making a Super Bowl comes Sunday when the Seahawks host the Rams in the NFC title game. And if what Lawrence has shown in his first season in Seattle is any indication, he’ll have a role in whether the Seahawks reach the Super Bowl for the fourth time in franchise history.
Or as Julian Love said on Thursday about Lawrence: “On the field, he’s transformed this defense.”
That kind of praise is a lot to put on one player. But he was the one major offseason signing the Seahawks made in free agency to boost the defense, giving him a three-year, $32.5 million contract, and the improvement in the defensive numbers this season doesn’t lie. The Seahawks probably wouldn’t lead the NFL in scoring defense without Lawrence’s presence.
There were major questions before the season about what Lawrence might be able to contribute at this point of his career and after playing only for the Cowboys. He missed most of last season with a foot injury. He was inching toward his mid-30s with more than a decade in the league. There were plenty of reasons to be pessimistic about what Lawrence would actually provide.
Those concerns were misguided in hindsight. Lawrence finished the regular season with six sacks, tied for his most since 2020. He forced three fumbles and returned two fumbles for touchdowns.
But more than the raw statistics was the attitude and effort Lawrence brought, especially to a team that has its share of youth.
“He’s a killer on the field and you can see that in his eyes. He has intent to get to the ball, to make plays,” Love said. “But just off the field, like we were just messing around, playing some cards. (On) break we just kind of hang out with him and he’s just kind of a fun-loving guy, great father to his kids, family man. And so it’s cool to see the off-the-field stuff with him.”
Being around the youth of Seattle’s defense has helped Lawrence feel young again himself. But he also tries to eschew credit for what he has brought to the group. It’s up to others to laud him.
“That’s a hard question for me because I’m me, I’m the type of person I like to see my guys happy. I like to see my guys making plays. I like to make plays, so we all get to party together,” Lawrence said. “For me, hopefully I bring great energy, teachable effort and showing the love of the game. How you play with passion and lead.”
The effort part Lawrence mentioned was perfectly illustrated by what he did in Week 13 against Minnesota. Lawrence was nearly 15 yards behind the play when he came from behind to force a fumble on Minnesota’s Aaron Jones. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald later called it, “probably my new favorite play of all time.”
It was also a favorite of defensive coordinator Aden Durde, who had history with Lawrence from his time coaching the defensive line in Dallas.
“I do see a new energy in him,” Durde said. “His whole career, he played in Dallas. So, I think coming here and being in a new environment, you get that new sense and that room has a great energy and culture about them. He’s a big part of it.”