The Dallas Cowboys have signed former New York Jets defensive end Carl Lawson, a source confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.
Lawson is the Cowboys’ second addition to the defensive line in the past two days, after they traded to the New York Giants for defensive tackle Jordan Phillips on Wednesday.
Lawson had trained with the Cowboys in Oxnard, California, after the team lost pressure point guard Sam Williams to a torn ACL in an early training camp practice, but Dallas signed Al-Quaden Muhammad and Shaka Toney to replace him. Toney has since been out with a groin injury.
The 29-year-old Lawson was touted as a key addition to the New York Jets in 2021, when he signed a three-year, $45 million contract in free agency, but he fell short of expectations and ended up playing in just 23 games in three seasons.
He missed the 2021 season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during preseason practice with the Green Bay Packers. The injury required additional surgery a few months later, but Lawson returned in 2022 and played the entire season, finishing with seven sacks.
The 2023 campaign was a failure. Lawson missed most of the preseason with a back injury and lost the starting job to outfielder Jermaine Johnson in his second year. By the time he was healthy enough to play, Lawson had been pushed back from the defensive line, reducing his duties and causing frustration.
Lawson sat out 11 games and declined media requests toward the end of the season. “I’m a football player, not a fan,” he said midway through the season. Lawson played in just six games, played just 101 snaps, recorded no sacks and five tackles.
Lawson was seen as a strong pressure player during his four-year career with the Cincinnati Bengals (20 sacks), but he struggled to stay on the field. He missed 13 of 64 games, most of them in 2018, when he underwent knee surgery.
He previously played with Cowboys running back Paul Guenther early in his career in Cincinnati.
NFL Network was first to report that the Cowboys had signed Lawson.
ESPN’s Todd Archer and Rich Cimini contributed to this report.