Dante Fowler's NFL odyssey has led him back to a familiar place: Dallas.
Fowler is returning to the Cowboys on a one-year, $8 million deal, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported on Friday.
A first-round pick in the 2015 draft, Fowler has played for five teams in his nine NFL seasons, most recently proving to be an incredibly cost-effective edge rusher in Washington last year. With 10.5 sacks, Fowler outplayed his deal with the Commanders -- which netted him less than $5 million, per Over The Cap -- and was expected to see a pay raise on the open market.
He found it in Dallas, where the Cowboys happily handed him $8 million with the expectation Fowler will replace Demarcus Lawrence, who signed with the Seahawks in free agency, in the Matt Eberflus-directed Cowboys defense.
Fowler spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Cowboys, playing for defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. He tallied 10 sacks combined in his two seasons before following Quinn to Washington, where he enjoyed an excellent year that landed him back on the radars of general managers around the league.
Dallas already played most of 2024 without Lawrence due to injury, receiving an early look at what life might be like without the longtime Cowboy in the mix. They'll hope Fowler can carry his success from 2024 to Dallas as part of a rushing group headlined by All-Pro Micah Parsons.
