Cowboys $40 Million Captain Could Be Targeted by Archrival in Free Agency

For the Dallas Cowboys, the long list of requirements for this offseason, and the importance of those items at the top of the list, will surely obscure some of the lower-level needs the team has. While a contract for Micah Parsons and a decision on the future of coach Mike McCarthy–or a new coach, if need be–are the looming issues, one of the lesser-discussed problems is the potential departure of defensive lineman DeMarcus Lawrence.

A foot injury held Lawrence out after Week 4, one of many injuries that torpedoed the Cowboys’ season. But he has been a stalwart on the defense in Dallas, long before Parsons’ arrival. Lawrence has starred at defensive end for the Cowboys for 11 seasons, and has four Pro Bowl selections to his credit. He has made 61.5 sacks in 141 games played.

Lawrence will be a free agent, coming off the final year of a three-year, $40 million contract he signed in 2022. He was excellent in 2023, posting a Pro Football Focus grade of 91, No. 8 in the NFL among all pass-rushers. But he will be 33 in April and the Cowboys have been looking to get younger across the board.

That means we may have seen the last of the venerable lineman in a Cowboys uniform. And Pro Football Focus projects him to potentially land with perhaps the last team Cowboys fans would like to see: the Commanders.

Cowboys Could Lose DeMarcus Lawrence in Free Agency

In an article titled, “One free agent every NFL team should pursue in 2025,” PFF’s Bradley Locker writes that former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, now the head coach in Washington, could target Lawrence this winter. Lawrence is in the final year of a three-year, $40 million contract.

“Even as the Commanders surged past all expectations to a playoff berth this season, their defense needs legitimate upgrades across the board. That rings true along the defensive front …

“Lawrence was sidelined for most of 2024 due to a foot injury, but the 32-year-old was sensational in 2023. … To illustrate how well-rounded Lawrence’s game is, he was one of three players with a 91.0-plus pass-rushing grade and a 79.0-plus run-defense grade. Reuniting with Dan Quinn to beef up the Commanders’ pass rush and run defense would be a perfect fit.”

It’s true that the Cowboys may get younger along the defensive front. But the hope would be that, if Lawrence leaves, he lands anywhere but Washington. (OK, maybe not Philly, either.)