The Dallas Cowboys are signing former New York Jets defensive end Carl Lawson, a source confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.
Lawson is the Cowboys’ second addition along the defensive line in the past two days, after they traded with the New York Giants for defensive tackle Jordan Phillips on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old Lawson had been trumpeted as a major addition for the Jets in 2021, when he signed a three-year, $45 million contract in free agency, but he fell short of expectations and wound up playing only 23 games in three seasons.
He missed the 2021 season after rupturing an Achilles tendon in a preseason practice with the Green Bay Packers. The injury required additional surgery a few months later, but Lawson made it back for 2022 and played the entire season, finishing with seven sacks.
The 2023 campaign was a washout. Lawson missed most of the preseason due to a back injury and lost his starting job to second-year defensive end Jermaine Johnson. By the time he was healthy enough to play, Lawson had been removed from the defensive line rotation, reducing him to spot duty and causing frustration.
He was a healthy scratch for 11 games and declined media requests late in the season. “I’m a football player, not a cheerleader,” he said at midseason. Lawson appeared in only six games, played just 101 snaps and recorded zero sacks and five tackles.
Lawson was regarded as a solid pass rusher during his four-year run with the Cincinnati Bengals (20 sacks), but he struggled to stay on the field. He missed 13 out of 64 games, mainly in 2018, when he underwent knee surgery.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini contributed to this report.
