Dante Fowler Jr. Released by Falcons After 2 Seasons; Totaled 7.5 Sacks for ATL

Two years after signing with the Atlanta Falcons, Dante Fowler Jr. will be a free agent this offseason. 

The Falcons announced on Wednesday they have released the 27-year-old after he recorded 7.5 sacks in two seasons. 

Coming off a career year in 2019 with 11.5 sacks playing on the same defensive line as Aaron Donald with the Los Angeles Rams, the Falcons signed Fowler to a three-year, $48 million deal in March 2020. 

Fowler was unable to carry over that performance during his time in Atlanta. His 4.5 sacks in 2021 did lead the team, but that says a lot more about the state of the Falcons' pass rush than it does about Fowler. 

Per ESPN's metrics, the Falcons were tied with the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings for the third-worst pass-rush win rate in the NFL this season (34 percent). 

Pro Football Focus (h/t Evan Birchfield of The Falcoholic) gave Fowler an overall grade of 55.9 in 2021. 

Per Spotrac, releasing Fowler will only count $4.7 million against their cap for 2022. They are currently $5.9 million over the cap. 

Fowler was originally the No. 3 overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2016 NFL draft. He recorded eight sacks in 2017 to help Jacksonville win the AFC South and reach the conference championship game. 

The Jaguars traded Fowler to the Rams in October 2018. He recorded 13.5 sacks in 24 regular-season games with Los Angeles. He played in Super Bowl LIII against the New England Patriots, recording two tackles for loss in a 13-3 defeat. 

Fowler has recorded 200 combined tackles, 59 quarterback hits, 44 tackles for loss and 35 sacks in 91 career games.