The Dallas Cowboys have a long list of unrestricted free agents who will officially hit the open market in just over two months. Of those, six or seven were key contributors in 2024, meaning the Cowboys have some tough decisions ahead of them over the next two months.

Today we take a look at Dallas’ impending free agent who is coming off an injury-plagued season: defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.

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2024 Regular Season Statistics: 4G, 9 total pressures, 7 defensive stops, 4 QB hurries, 3 sacks, 2 QB hits, 1 FFM

Annual review: DeMarcus Lawrence started the 2024 season on a high. The 32-year-old veteran, who along with Zack Martin is the longest-serving Cowboy on the roster, enjoyed a resurgence in his final two seasons. After injuries limited him to playing in just seven regular-season games in 2021, Lawrence remained healthy in the following two seasons, playing in all 17 regular-season games each year.

Lawrence was named to the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023 and totaled 107 pressures, 82 QB hurries and 11 sacks in those two years. In his later years, Lawrence’s greatest strength was his ability to play the run as an edge defender. 2023 was arguably the best season of his career and he did just that Professional football focus rated the 11-year pro as the second-best run defender in football with a grade of 92.2.

Lawrence was entering a contract year for the first time since 2019 and appeared to be in a great position to have another solid season and take advantage of the open market with either the Cowboys or another team. Unfortunately, Lawrence’s 2024 season was greatly shortened.

In Dallas’ Week 4 game against the New York Giants, the 32-year-old veteran suffered a foot injury that would immediately place him on injured reserve. At the time of the injury, it was believed Lawrence could potentially return in six weeks. However, this was not the case as Lawrence remained on injured reserve for the remainder of the season and never saw the field again.

Free agency outlook: Lawrence’s serious foot injury really puts a damper on his potential free agent market. If the veteran had hit the open market after his 2023 campaign, there’s a real chance he would have received a three-year deal worth a significant AAV. Now that he’s coming off one of the worst injuries of his career at nearly 33 years old, it will be interesting to see if teams shy away from making a long-term offer to Lawrence.

Despite his age and injury history, teams will still be interested in Lawrence because of what he brings to the table and in the locker room. There’s no denying that Lawrence was one of the most important leaders on and off the field during his time as a Cowboy, and numerous players and coaches rave about his leadership skills.

When looking for a contract projection, two contracts signed by veterans last offseason can serve as a good benchmark. Last spring, then 33-year-old Denico Autry and 30-year-old Arik Armstead signed multi-year contracts worth at least $10 million per year. Autry, the older of the two, signed a two-year, $20 million deal with the Houston Texans, while Armstead signed a three-year, $43.5 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

At this point in his career, Lawrence is certainly not the pass rush threat that Autry or Armstead were when they hit free agency. Still, he is a comparable all-around player and will likely seek a deal with a similar AAV to the duo.

The 2025 free agent class features some talent at the edge position, including Josh Sweat, Chase Young and Dante Fowler. What Lawrence has to his credit is that most of the top free agent talent at the position are pure pass rushers who struggle against the run. The 11-year veteran isn’t the pass rusher we saw in 2017 or 2018, but he recorded three sacks in four games last year and can still get to the quarterback with excellent defense against the run.

Cowboys verdict: Lawrence has meant so much to the Cowboys in his 11 years in Dallas. The veteran proved to be one of the best second-round picks in franchise history. It would be difficult if his time as a Cowboy ends with just four games, but at this point there is a real possibility that will be the case.

The Cowboys have a number of key free agents they need to retain if they want to be competitive next season. While Lawrence is at the top of the list, defenders like Osa Odighizuwa and Jourdan Lewis are younger and playing better at this point in their careers, making retaining them a bigger priority.

Lawrence’s return to Dallas will likely come down to one thing: money. If the 11-year veteran wants to secure a multi-year deal worth a significant AAV, the chance of him getting it from the Cowboys is almost nil. But if Lawrence decides to stay home and work with Dallas to get a deal done, there is a path to a potential incentive-rich contract that could work for both sides.

Ultimately, this will likely be the last free agent contract Lawrence will sign in his NFL career, making it more likely that he will seek a multi-year deal with a high AAV. As difficult as it may be, Dallas is at risk of losing its two longest-tenured players (Lawrence, Zack Martin) this offseason for different reasons.

forecast: DeMarcus Lawrence signs a two-year, $30 million contract with the Detroit Lions