Will Commanders re-sign sack leader Dante Fowler Jr.?

Dante Fowler Jr. is a free agent for the Washington Commanders this offseason.
Jan 18, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Washington Commanders linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (6) reacts to a tackle against Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during the first quarter in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Jan 18, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Washington Commanders linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (6) reacts to a tackle against Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during the first quarter in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
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The Washington Commanders have some choices to make in regards to free agency, and that includes what to do with pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr.

Fowler, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, had arguably the best year of his career with the Commanders, recording 10.5 sacks to lead the team.

ESPN writer Bill Barnwell believes Fowler is the most important free agent the Commanders need to re-sign this offseason.

READ MORE: Commanders have one major free agency decision to make

Washington Commanders linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (6)
Nov 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Commanders linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (6) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Why do the Commanders need Fowler back?

"It's good to be the Commanders considering how much cap space they have to build around Jayden Daniels. There's a lot of work to be done, though. Ertz, Igbinoghene and Chinn turned out to be great one-year signings by general manager Adam Peters, but after exceeding expectations, they're all going to rightfully want more money this time around," Barnwell writes.

"The most productive one-year signing had to be Fowler. Signed for $3.3 million after spending the past two seasons with coach Dan Quinn in Dallas, he had the best season we've seen from the 2015 No. 3 pick in years. He racked up 10.5 sacks and forced two fumbles. The only regulars in the league with higher sack rates on a per-rush basis were Trey Hendrickson and Nik Bonitto."

Fowler will be due for a raise, but considering the Commanders have so much cap space with a number of players only signing one-year contracts, Washington has some flexibility.

Fowler may not be able to repeat the season he had as he now moves into his 30's, but he can still be a strong contributor for a Commanders defense looking to improve in 2025.


READ MORE: Commanders' QB Jayden Daniels sharing his blessings with a trip to the Super Bowl

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.