Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence was at the podium in Dallas Tuesday after officially inking his huge new contract extension with the Cowboys.
During his presser, he addressed the idea that he was considering holding out without a deal.
His response was great: “You ain’t got to worry about that,” Lawrence said, per Jon Machota of SportsDay. “It wasn’t going to be a Le’Veon [Bell] situation. I ain’t skipping $20 million for nobody.”
Lawrence was secured on the franchise tag for the 2018 season, during which he made just over $17 million. Then, Dallas used the tag once more ahead of free agency to ensure he didn’t hit the open market. So, without a new deal Lawrence was set to bring in more than $20 million, fully guaranteed.
Obviously none of that matters now, because he got $48 million guaranteed at signing, and $65 million guaranteed overall.
As for the coming season, Lawrence won’t be practicing with the team until the preseason at the earliest. He’s set to undergo shoulder surgery on Wednesday and is expected to miss anywhere between four and six months.