Loyalty is often synonymous with former NFL players and the teams they once represented. Michael Irvin certainly fits that description when it comes to the Dallas Cowboys. But even franchise icons occasionally revisit their stance. That’s precisely what unfolded with Irvin after he criticized DeMarcus Lawrence for suggesting he had a better chance to win a Super Bowl elsewhere than in Dallas. Now, Irvin appears to carry a sense of regret over how strongly he responded to the former Cowboys defender.

“And there was a DeMarcus Lawrence, who we all owe a great apology,” Irvin said this week on The White House podcast. “DeMarcus Lawrence said in his goodbye to all of Dallas, I’ll win one with Seattle before I ever win one in Dallas. And everybody, including me, jumped right on him. I jumped right on him, I tweeted something out, I didn’t know everything, I was right there. I just got to say, I’m sorry, and you were right. He was right.”

Irvin’s comments came a week after Lawrence followed through, winning the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. After 11 seasons in Dallas, where he recorded 61.5 sacks and four Pro Bowl selections, Lawrence left with a clear message. He didn’t see a Lombardi Trophy coming to the Cowboys during his tenure.

“Change of scenery is always good, but Dallas is my home,” the veteran defensive end said back in March 2025. “Made my home there, my family lives there. I’m forever gonna be there, but I know for sure I’m not going to win a Super Bowl there. So, yeah … we here.”

Given his decade-long run in Dallas, criticism was inevitable over his statement. And it came quickly. Micah Parsons labeled the comments “clown s**t,” and Irvin went further. He backed Parsons and argued that Lawrence had to own part of the responsibility for Dallas’ shortcomings.

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“I’m gonna absolutely go with Micah Parsons here,” Irvin explained. “…First of all, D Lawrence—and I love D Law—good man, played great for Dallas for a long time. But you have to self-indict, since you were there. You can’t just say, ‘I ain’t gon’ win a Super Bowl in Dallas,’ as if you were not on the football field. You were the reason why [they] didn’t win. You are directly part of the reason you didn’t win a Super Bowl in Dallas.”

Fast forward to now, and the optics have shifted. Parsons is no longer in Dallas either, having been traded to the Green Bay Packers following a contract standoff. And Irvin, for his part, has publicly walked back his criticism after Lawrence secured his first ring in Seattle.

And to his credit, Irvin didn’t stop at an apology. He acknowledged Lawrence’s impact.

“He laughed last laugh best, and he went over, and they talked about it, like the difference he brought to this defense,” Irvin added. “Once he got there, and he took it up a level, DeMarcus Lawrence, and I’m sure he took it up a level because he came with the anger and the pain of what had transpired in Dallas.”

Indeed! After signing a three-year, $42 million deal with Seattle, Lawrence became a key piece of the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defense. His arrival coincided with a clear defensive jump, and even head coach Mike Macdonald has described him as the best drill player he has ever seen.

DeMarcus Lawrence is the best drill player, claims his head coach

The Seahawks’ defense was central to the franchise’s second Super Bowl title this year. And DeMarcus Lawrence played a significant role from the edge. The 33-year-old appeared in 16 games and finished the regular season with 53 combined tackles, 23 solo stops, 6 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles.

Those three forced fumbles placed him among the league’s top contributors in that category, production that underscored his impact beyond the box score. That influence is exactly why head coach Mike Macdonald has been so emphatic in his praise.

“He’s like the best drill player I’ve ever seen in my life,” the HC said of Lawrence. “You could ask him to do any drill known to mankind, and just the trust he has in why you’re doing it, it is 1,000 percent every rep. The intent of what he’s trying to create, and that’s the standard that he’s setting for our front, so the guys don’t have any choice but to fall in line.”

Lawrence’s in-game performance supports that assessment. In Week 10 against the Arizona Cardinals, linebacker Tyrice Knight forced a fumble from quarterback Jacoby Brissett, and Lawrence recovered it before racing 34 yards for a touchdown, a momentum-shifting play that highlighted his awareness and finish.

The production carried into the postseason. Lawrence totaled 2.0 sacks and three forced fumbles across two playoff games, helping push Seattle into the Super Bowl. On the biggest stage against the New England Patriots, he was part of a defensive unit that sacked Drake Maye six times and forced him to turn the ball over three times in the title game.

In short, Lawrence didn’t just predict he would win a Super Bowl in Seattle. His consistency, pressure, and timely plays were part of the reason the Seahawks were able to do exactly that.