Cowboys never made contract offer to four-time Pro Bowler who bolted in free agency?

The Cowboys did not offer a contract to retain defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence before he signed with the Seahawks, per WFAA’s Ed Werder.

Lawrence signed a three-year, $32.5M contract with Seattle that includes $18M guaranteed and a maximum value of $42M. In one of his first interviews after signing his new deal, he took a clear shot at his former team by saying he would never win a Super Bowl in Dallas.

Lawrence’s comments, according to Werder, “were directed at Jerry and Stephen [Jones] as they declined to offer him a contract and he was forced to find another team to finish his career and achieve his goals.”

Micah Parsons responded to Lawrence on X, saying he was driven by “rejection and envy.” Lawrence responded, doubling down on his claim and exposing simmering tensions between the former teammates. According to Werder, the two “disagreed on personality or approach” while together in Dallas.

Lawrence was already a two-time Pro Bowler by the time Parsons was drafted by the Cowboys in 2021. Lawrence played in only seven games that year, but he earned back-to-back Pro Bowl nods with Parsons in 2022 and 2023. A foot injury ended Lawrence’s 2024 season after just four games, and the Cowboys opted to get cheaper and younger at the position.

In the past week, Dallas signed Payton Turner and Dante Fowler for less money combined than Lawrence received from the Seahawks. They will join Parsons, Marshawn Kneeland and Sam Williams in a deep, talented edge-rusher room.