Dante Fowler: 2 Million Reasons to Help Falcons Sack Saints

Dante Fowler has a couple of million reasons to want a big game on Sunday.

Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Dante Fowler was signed to a big-money deal prior to the 2020 season. He battled through injuries last year and failed to live up to the expectations he set when he posted an 11.5-sack season in 2019 for the LA Rams.

Prior to this season, general manager Terry Fontenot and Fowler agreed to rework his contract and filled it with incentives.

Per NFL league source, Falcons have restructured Dante Fowler’s contract:

He had a $14-million deal this year, $6-million of which was guaranteed.

Falcons reduced salary to $6-million and added $4-million in incentives.

$1M-5 sacks
$2M-7 sacks
$3M-9 sacks
$4M-11 sacks pic.twitter.com/MNmcbVfFEH

— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) March 19, 2021

Fowler currently has 4.5 sacks on the season and could get paid roughly $1 million per sack on Sunday.

If he registers half a sack, he reaches his five-sack bonus of $1 million. If he gets 2.5 sacks, he'll reach his seven-sack bonus of $2 million.

That’s 2.5 sacks for $2 million dollars.

Fowler has registered just one sack in his last five games as the Falcons pass rush on the whole has been anemic.

To say Atlanta has had trouble getting to the quarterback would be a huge understatement.

Yes, Atlanta ranks dead last in the NFL with 17 sacks, but the next team on the list, the Jacksonville Jaguars, has 26 sacks.

The Falcons would have needed to up their increase of sacks by 50% on the season ... just to get out of last.

Fowler has just 4.5 sacks on the season and his opposite number Steven Means has been even worse. In 13 starts, Means has zero sacks, two tackles for loss, and two quarterback hits.

Is it any wonder why edge rusher is seen as one of the, if not the, biggest priority in the upcoming draft.

Atlanta has a chance to draft as high as No. 7 with a loss to the Saints on Sunday.

No one has more of an incentive for a big game than Dante Fowler, but for the long-term health of the franchise, a higher pick and the hope of a more consistent pass rusher might be the better option for the Falcons beyond Sunday.