SAN JOSE, Calif. — He was proven correct.
After 11 years with one team, starring on the defensive line, winning a bunch of games but never even getting to an NFC Championship game, much less a Super Bowl, DeMarcus Lawrence at age 33 found a new spot to play football.
The Seahawks saw life in his legs and signed him to a three-year contract worth $42 million.
“Dallas is my home,’’ Lawrence said at the time, “but I know for sure I’m not gonna win a Super Bowl there.’’
Who would have thought he might win one in his first year with his new team?
“There’s nothing for me to say,’’ Lawrence said Monday night at the Opening Night event at the San Jose Convention Center. “I did what I was supposed to do. Shoutout to my teammates, carrying me all this way. We’re here.’’
Yes, the Seahawks are here.
And Lawrence is a big reason why.
He was voted into five Pro Bowls during his time with the Cowboys.
This is a different sort of career achievement.
No Pro Bowl, but one Super Bowl.
Was Lawrence taking a shot at the Cowboys by saying he could not win one in Dallas?
“Just being real about the situation,’’ he said. “Just understanding football is not for long for any player and understanding my window of opportunity is closing. I don’t have long to play this game and I have to win now. It’s understood what Seattle was building up here and I just wanted to be a part of it.’’
Lawrence is familiar — painfully so — to Giants fans who watched him dominate their team for a decade.
Lawrence never shied away from not too subtle digs at Eli Manning.
When the Giants selected Daniel Jones in the first round of the 2019 draft, Lawrence’s social-media reaction was this: “Fresh meat.’’
He enjoyed calling Jones “Little Eli,’’ and that was not a term of endearment.
The Seahawks led the league in scoring defense and Lawrence was part of the reason why.
He started 16 games and totaled six sacks.
His 20 quarterback hits were the most he produced in a season since 2018.
In Week 10, Lawrence outdid himself by recovering two fumbles and returning both of them for touchdowns in a 44-22 victory over the Cardinals.
It came as no surprise that Lawrence was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
He made plays and helped his team get to the Super Bowl, something he could not accomplish with the Cowboys.
Why not?
“That,’’ Lawrence said, “is something for them to find out.’’
