Shaq Lawson’s NFL career has always had a certain rhythm: show your value, stay ready, and when Buffalo calls, answer.
The former Clemson standout is headed back to the Buffalo Bills again after the team signed Lawson to its practice squad, marking his third stint with the organization and another chapter in a reunion that keeps finding its way back to Western New York.
Back to Buffalo—Again
Lawson worked out for the Bills earlier in the week and the team moved quickly, bringing him into the building as a practice-squad signing.
It’s familiar territory. Buffalo drafted Lawson in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft (No. 19 overall), and he spent his first four seasons there from 2016–19. After playing the 2020 season with the Dolphins and 2021 with the Jets, Lawson returned to Buffalo for another run from 2022–23.
Now he’s back again — a veteran edge who knows the system, knows the culture, and can be elevated when injuries and attrition inevitably hit a defensive front late in the year.
A Veteran Resume That Keeps Earning Calls
At 31, Lawson isn’t being brought in as a developmental project. He’s being brought in because he has a track record.
Across 110 NFL games (2016–24), Lawson has totaled 207 tackles, 42 tackles for loss, and 26 sacks. And his best work has come in Buffalo: in 81 games with the Bills across six seasons, he’s logged 152 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, and 21 sacks.
That profile matters on contenders. Edge depth disappears fast in December, and teams with postseason goals hoard veteran pass rushers the way they hoard cornerbacks: because you never have enough.
Coming Off a Carolina Stop
Lawson most recently spent time with the Carolina Panthers, joining their practice squad in October 2024. He appeared in one game — Week 7 against Washington — before being released later that month.
The Bills don’t need him to be a star. They need him to be a professional: take reps, hold the edge, rush with effort, and be ready if the phone rings on game day.
Clemson Roots, Daniel Pipeline, and a Career Built on Disruption
For Clemson fans, Lawson’s name still sounds like violence off the edge.
The Daniel High alum became one of the program’s defining defenders from 2013–15, exploding into national prominence as a junior in 2015 when he led the nation in tackles for loss and became a finalist for multiple national awards.
In three seasons at Clemson, Lawson piled up 167 tackles, 46.5 tackles for loss, 20 sacks, 29 QB pressures, and two forced fumbles over 41 games. He also joined a rare category in program history, becoming the first Clemson defender since Anthony Simmons to post double-digit tackles for loss in three straight seasons (freshman through junior year).
That’s the résumé Buffalo drafted — and the player it keeps circling back to when it needs credibility and depth up front.
What This Reunion Really Means
Practice-squad signings don’t make headlines in August. They matter in November and December — when contending teams are trying to survive.
Buffalo knows what Shaq Lawson is: a reliable veteran edge who can step into a role without a learning curve. Lawson knows what Buffalo is: a place that trusts him enough to keep bringing him back.
In the NFL, that’s not nostalgia. That’s value.