The Seattle Seahawks organization and its fans remember Lawrence McCutcheon, a veteran running back who suited up for the team in 1980, following his death on October 23, 2026. He was 76.
McCutcheon’s family announced that he passed away after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, with relatives at his bedside.
The Los Angeles Rams, where he built the bulk of his career, shared the news, and the NFL community has offered condolences.
While McCutcheon is best remembered as a five-time Pro Bowl standout for the Rams in the 1970s, his brief tenure with the Seahawks added a Pacific Northwest chapter to a 10-year NFL playing career.
Acquired after early-season time with the Denver Broncos, the Plainview, Texas, native and Colorado State product appeared in eight games for Seattle in 1980 (one start).
He rushed 40 times for 202 yards (a solid 5.1 yards per carry) and three touchdowns, while adding eight receptions for 64 yards and another score.
Highlights included an 11-carry, 95-yard outing in a Thanksgiving Day game against the Dallas Cowboys and multiple scoring plays that showcased the burst that defined his earlier prime.
The 1980 Seahawks, still an expansion-era squad under head coach Jack Patera and led by quarterback Jim Zorn and wide receiver Steve Largent, finished 4-12.
McCutcheon provided experienced depth in the backfield alongside players such as Jim Jodat and Dan Doornink.
His efficiency on limited carries reflected the same reliable style that made him a workhorse for the Rams under coach Chuck Knox from 1973-77, where he led the team in rushing each year, earned five consecutive Pro Bowl nods, and topped 1,000 yards four times.
He left Los Angeles as the franchise’s career rushing leader at the time (now fourth all-time) and famously threw a touchdown pass in Super Bowl XIV.
After one more season with the Buffalo Bills in 1981—reuniting with Knox—McCutcheon returned to the Rams organization as a scout in 1982.
He spent more than three decades in the front office, rising to director of player personnel (2003-16) and contributing to the franchise’s later successes, including a Super Bowl ring. He retired in 2016 after 42 years associated with the team as player and executive.
Seahawks fans and the broader NFL remember “Clutch,” as he was known, for his toughness and productivity.
His family has requested donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in lieu of flowers. McCutcheon’s legacy endures through his on-field accomplishments and the players he helped develop over decades.
