The Dallas Cowboys has signed defensive end Carl Lawson to their 53-man active roster, the NFL team announced on Wednesday.
The former Auburn standout has played in the Cowboys’ past three games after being elevated from the practice squad. NFL rules prohibit a player from being elevated from the practice squad to active status more than three times, so to keep Lawson on the field, Dallas needed to sign him to its 53-man active roster
The Cowboys had a place for Lawson on the active roster when defensive end Marshawn Kneeland went on injured reserve after sustaining a knee injury on Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Kneeland was the latest Dallas defensive end to go down. Sam Williams, a former Lee-Montgomery standout, tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee at practice on July 28. DeMarcus Lawrence also has gone on injured reserve, and three-time Pro Bowler Micah Parsons is down with an ankle injury.
Lawson has played 60 defensive snaps for the Cowboys this season.
A fourth-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017, Lawson has 27.5 sacks, 28 tackles for loss and 109 quarterback hits in 77 NFL games.
Lawson had 8.5 sacks to lead the NFL’s rookies in 2017, and he recorded seven sacks while starting every game for the New York Jets in 2022.
Lawson joined the Cowboys as a free-agent signing on Aug. 15.
Dallas plays the Detroit Lions at 3:25 p.m. CDT Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.