Following two seasons away from Buffalo, Shaq Lawson returned to the Bills last offseason after signing a one-year deal with the team ahead of the 2022 season.
Now, with Buffalo’s 2022 campaign in the books after a 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in in the AFC divisional round matchup last weekend, Lawson is once again an impending free agent.
The former Clemson defensive end feels that coming back to Buffalo helped get his career back on track. Although he left Buffalo as a free agent following the 2019 season, when he posted a career-best 6.5 sacks, Lawson would love to stay with the Bills this time around if it works out that way.
“I feel like this season put me back (on track),” Lawson told reporters. “I was telling my D-line coach here (Eric Washington), like, I was in a dark place before I got back here and then I needed this year to bounce back. So, I feel like I did that with the time I had. I made the most of it, and I’m going to see where my chips fall come free agency time again.”
“My free agency was kind of a little different (after the 2019 season). That year I was coming out, I think I had a couple more sacks than I had this year, and it was kind of a tough decision and I had to slide,” Lawson added. “But if it’s right, shoot, I would love to be here. I’m at the point of my career, I’m just trying to finish at one spot. But I just got to see where everything falls.”
A first-round pick of the Bills coming out of Clemson back in 2016, Lawson spent the first four seasons of his career in Buffalo (2016-19), then played with the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets from 2020-21 before rejoining the Bills for the 2022 campaign.
Lawson was on the roster fringe during training camp in August, but after starting the season as a backup, he ultimately became a starting defensive end for the Bills from Week 12 on. Overall, in 15 games (six starts) during the regular season, he recorded 30 tackles, six tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, nine quarterback hits, a forced fumble and a pass deflection.
The 28-year-old feels better about where he stands heading into free agency this year than he did last offseason, coming off a 2021 season with the Jets during which he had a career-low one sack.
“I still can set the edge and bring a presence to this game and bring energy to any team that I’m going to be a part of,” Lawson said. “I mean, I can come in and make big plays still at this high level. So, I know I feel like I’m in a better spot I was at this time last year. Because last year I felt like shoot, I possibly ain’t having a job. I feel like I set myself up for at least a year or a couple years more left.”
Dear Old Clemson has added the Tiger Sack Pack to our online store. Save by getting the Two Pack of signed cards from two of the nation’s top defensive ends, Myles Murphy and Xavier Thomas.
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