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The Seattle Seahawks bolstered their pass rush on May 5 as Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reported, citing sources, that Dante Fowler Jr. is signing with the Seahawks on a one-year deal worth up to $5 million.

Over the offseason, the Seahawks lost Boye Mafe, who signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as a free agent. As a result, with Fowler’s reported arrival, Seattle has now replaced the depth Mafe provided the team last season.

Last season, on their run to Super Bowl LX, the Seahawks’ calling card was their pass rush, and with Fowler now in the mix, Seattle is making sure it remains that way in the upcoming 2026 campaign.

After the Fowler signing, Seattle Sports’ Michael Bumpus shared his thoughts on the veteran joining the Super Bowl champions. Moreover, Bumpus noted that he’s more than confident that Fowler can replace what Mafe brought to the team last season.

“This is a responsible football player,” Bumpus said in a May 5 video from Seattle Sports. “I don’t expect him to come out here and get 10 or 11 sacks. That would be great, but I’m not expecting that. He’s not an every-down type of guy, and we know on this defensive line no one really is.

“Maybe [Leonard Williams], and even he gets a break every now and then. So you’re getting a solid replacement for Boye Mafe and what he brought to the game. I think you’re good.”

The Fowler signing shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that the veteran edge rusher played for Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde when Durde was an assistant with the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys.

Moreover, before the draft, Fowler visited with the team, leading to this agreement eventually happening.

What Will Dante Fowler Jr. Bring to Seahawks?

Last season with the Cowboys, Fowler posted a 77.6 overall PFF defensive grade as the 31-year-old generated 30 total pressures as a pass rusher while also recording three sacks, 20 hurries, and seven hits.

Bumpus also shared one aspect of Fowler’s game that he likes, and it doesn’t have to do with any stat line.  

“Sometimes when edge rushers are not disciplined, they get upfield and allow the quarterback to get underneath and get out of there,” Bumpus added. “You have to stay parallel to the quarterback. You cannot get deeper than the quarterback.

“Rarely did I see Dante get deeper than the quarterback. So even if he loses that battle and that tackle has hands on him, he’s still going to be in a place where he’s not going to widen the gap and allow free-running space.”

Can Dante Fowler Jr. Find His 2024 Form?

While Fowler only recorded three sacks last season, head coach Mike Macdonald might put him in situations where he could increase that total. During the 2025 campaign, Seattle finished in the Top 10 in team sacks with 47, per ESPN.

Furthermore, the Seahawks also finished in the Top 10 regarding sacks yards lost (322). The best-case scenario for Macdonald and his defense is that they get the 2024 version of Fowler, who recorded 10.5 sacks with the Washington Commanders. Nonetheless, if Seattle gets half of that production, they’ll likely be content with that as well.