Lawler was rated by Rivals.com as four-star recruit and committed to the University of California, Berkeley to play college football.

[17] The BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) announced on May 9, 2018, they had signed Lawler to a contract, along with four other wide receivers.

Lawler became a regular contributor for the Blue Bombers during the 2019 season, with his breakout game coming in a loss against Hamilton, where he caught 10 passes for 144 yards.

[20][21] After the CFL canceled the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lawler chose to opt-out of his contract with the Blue Bombers on August 27, 2020.

[23] Midway through the 2021 season, on October 4, 2021, it was revealed that Lawler had been arrested for impaired driving and was suspended for the team's Week 10 match.

[29] On the first day of free agency, on February 14, 2023, it was announced that Lawler had signed a two-year contract with the Blue Bombers.

[30] Lawler was transferred to the team's suspended list in advance of the 2023 season as he was facing passport challenges related to his impaired driving charge in October 2021.

[33] In 2024, Lawler was injured in the first game of the season after recording three receptions for 26 yards in the Grey Cup rematch against the Montreal Alouettes.

He returned in week 11 and played in the rest of the regular season, totalling 10 games with 41 catches for 662 yards and four touchdowns.

[34] Lawler started in both post-season games, including the 111th Grey Cup where he had two receptions for 27 yards in the Blue Bombers' 41–24 loss to the Toronto Argonauts.

His father is Kenneth Lawler Sr. and he played college football as a cornerback at Oregon, he would later become a coach at Mt.