The Dallas Cowboys asked defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence to take a pay cut but they no plans of getting rid of him.
Lawrence initially rejected the salary decrease, but he had no plans of playing anywhere else.
The two sides worked it out in the form of a three-year, $40 million contract with $30 million guaranteed the first two seasons.
It reduces Lawrence cap hit for 2022 from $27 million to $14 million.
The two-time Pro Bowl player becomes the first defensive end in NFL history to have seven straight seasons of fully guaranteed deals, dating back to when he played on the franchise in 2018.
He signed a five-year, $105 million contract before the 2019 season, making him the richest played in Cowboys history at the time.
The first three years of the contract were guaranteed. Lawrence was set make $19 million and $21 million in 2022 and 2023 with cap hits of $27 million and $29 million, respectively.
Lawrence’s $27 million cap figure would have been the fifth-highest hit of any defensive player in 2022.
The new deal guarantees him $30 million and secures his spot on the roster.
Lawrence has tallied 48.5 sacks in his eight NFL seasons, including 25 sacks between 2017 and 2018 when he registered 14.5 and 10.5 sacks, respectively.
He has not had more than 6.5 sacks in a season since and was limited to seven games in 2021 after undergoing foot surgery following the season opener.
Lawrence recorded with three sacks, five pass deflections, an interception, two tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in 2021.
He is headed into the offseason fully healthy for the first time since 2018 and the Cowboys believe he can return to his old dominance in 2022.
