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Washington Commanders edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. in 2024.

The Washington Commanders could have used edge rusher Dante Fowler in 2025. He’ll get a chance to help defend a Super Bowl title in 2026 after he signed with the Seattle Seahawks on Monday.

Fowler led the Commanders in sacks in 2024 and played with the Dallas Cowboys in 2025.

“Veteran edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. is signing with the Seahawks on a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, per sources,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero wrote on his official X account on Monday. “The No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft, Fowler is now entering his 12th NFL season.”

Fowler’s 10.5 sacks in 2024 — his only season with the Commanders — were a huge reason why Washington went 12-5 in the regular season and advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the 1st time since 1991.

Without Fowler, the Commanders went 5-12 in 2025.

Fowler had just 3.0 sacks in 2025 while playing all 17 games for the Cowboys, including 11 starts.

Fowler’s Market Value Lined Up With New Deal

Fowler, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, has a projected market value of a 1-year, $5.1 million contract according to Spotrac. The Seahawks brought him in for a free agent visit just over 2 weeks ago.

“Veteran pass rusher Dante Fowler visited Seahawks today,” NFL reporter Aaron Wilson wrote on his official X account on April 16. 

The Cowboys moved quickly to steal Fowler from their NFC East rival Commanders after Fowler helped lead Washington its first NFC Championship Game appearance since 1991.

“Fowler played for the Cowboys in 2022 and ’23 before leaving with former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to the Washington Commanders last year and putting up 10.5 sacks,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote in March 2025. “Fowler’s deal is worth $6 million and can move to $8 million based on incentives.”

The Commanders were encouraged to offer Fowler a contract extension late in the 2024 season but they never made a serious move to keep him in the fold.

“One of the former Cowboys that Quinn lured over from Dallas, the 30-year-old has been impactful as a rotational edge-rusher this season,” Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder wrote in November 2024. “The Commanders should be looking to get younger on the edge, but Quinn knows what he has in Fowler. Extending an offer before Fowler hits the open market again would be sensible.”

Fowler Firmly in Journeyman Stage of Career

Fowler was a 2-time All-SEC pick at Florida before the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft but his career got off to a terrible start when he tore his ACL on the first day of minicamp his rookie year and followed with a scandal, when he was illegally fined $700,000 by Executive VP and former head coach Tom Coughlin, which led to Coughlin’s firing in December 2019.

The Jaguars traded Fowler to the Los Angeles Rams midway through the 2018 season, where he played his way into a 1-year, $12 million contract in 2019 and a 3-year, $45 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020.

Fowler played in 2022 and 2023 on 1-year contracts with the Cowboys before signing with the Commanders. His 10.5 sacks were his highest total since having 11.5 sacks with the Rams in 2019.

The Seahawks are Fowler’s 6th NFL team.