FRISCO - A few weeks ago, there were eternal optimists here inside The Star in Frisco who swore that the foundational standout DeMarcus Lawrence was on the verge of a return to the roster so he could create on-field havoc for a late playoff push.
As days march on, they seem increasingly wrong. And Lawrence increasingly seems like he might be at the end of the line.
According to a Monday update from head coach Mike McCarthy, the Cowboys are not planning to have Lawrence this week when they play host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on "Sunday Night Football.''
Lawrence has been out since sustaining a foot injury in the Week 4 win over the New York Giants in September. Shortly after that Lawrence was moved to IR.
Lawrence, who will be 33 in April, has a history of playing hurt, and he has reasons to want to push his way back onto the field now. He's been a $20 million APY player and now his contract is about to expire. So in addition to wanting to help his 6-8 Cowboys team success, he'd also like to close the season by putting out positive film.
Lawrence when healthy is a playmaking force (with 61.5 sacks over the last 11 seasons) and a team leader as well. He could help his team now and he can help himself for later. But as he is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season - while vowing to not bother with retirement consideration - first he's got to get healthy. And sadly, he is running out of time.
