BREAKING: Falcons Cut Dante Fowler

The former No. 3 overall pick spent two underwhelming seasons with the Falcons.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 16, 2022

The Atlanta Falcons made the biggest splash of the offseason so far on Wednesday, announcing the release of outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr.

Dante Fowler Falcons at Bills — Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Dante Fowler vs. Jacksonville — Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Dante Fowler Atlanta Falcons — Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Fowler, who will turn 28 in August, spent two seasons with the Falcons, recording 7.5 sacks.

He's had an up-and-down career after being selected No. 3 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2015, tearing his ACL in his rookie season, being traded to the Los Angeles Rams, recording 11.5 sacks in his only full season in LA, then coming to the Falcons and falling on tough times.

Fowler was about to enter the final year of his 3-year, $45 million contract he signed with the Falcons in the 2020 offseason. He was only scheduled to count for $4.6 million of the cap this season.

Fowler was expected to be one of Atlanta's premier pass rushers when he signed with the Falcons two years ago, but hasn't performed up to standards. The Falcons finished dead last in sacks last season with 18, which is 11 fewer than the next-worst team.

Since Terry Fontenot took over as general manager, only half of the team that was on the final roster in 2020 (26 players) remain on the roster following Fowler's release. That number is likely to grow as the offseason continues and Fontenot begins to shape the team to his liking.

With Fowler now out of the picture, the Falcons must look for potential free agent and draft options. And now they can have more freedom with this extra bit of cap space freed up by Fowler's release.

Published Feb 16, 2022

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.