The Seattle Seahawks have done what many expected them to do after the 2026 NFL draft ended, and that is sign free agent edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. The former Dallas Cowboys player signed for one season and as much as $5 million. Not too much.
But his addition likely means bad things for the players now below him on the depth chart, and one of those players is Jamie Sheriff. The undrafted free agent in 2024 has been battling to earn real reps, but seems to just barely keep missing his chance.
Now, with Fowler's addition, Sheriff might not have a path to making the active 53-man roster yet again. He had an outside chance the way the depth chart stood before Tuesday. Some 12s have been hoping for the former South Alabama Jaguars player to get a chance to show in real games what he has flashed in the preseason.
Seattle Seahawks signing Dante Fowler Jr. is likely bad news for Jamie Sheriff
This was especially true of his 2024 preseason when the 6'2" and 265-pound had three sacks and five run stuffs, and appeared capable of making a true impact. Last preseason, he didn't have quite as high a production, but he still had a sack in 27 pass-rush opportunities.
To be sure, Sheriff was only going to be on the low-end of any potential rotation, but his ability to pressure quarterbacks might have been a must-need in 2026. If given a chance, he likely could produce some solid numbers. With Dante Fowler on the team, Sheriff now has the same nonexistent chance of playing as he did when Boye Mafe was still on the roster.
While the Seattle Seahawks are likely hoping to keep Jamie Sheriff at least on the practice squad, the hope for the human being is that some other team picks him up and gives him a chance to pick up reps. As long as he doesn't play well against the 12s' favorite team, we can all wish him well.
Of course, Dante Fowler Jr. needs to be good, too. While he had a high pass-rush win-rate last season, even though he only had three sacks, he's never been consistently good against the run. Thankfully, he's part of a solid edge rush group that includes Uchenna Nwosu, Derick Hall, and DeMarcus Lawrence, but Fowler will have to set a hard edge against the run as well.
The ultimate hope is that Fowler duplicates what Lawrence was able to do last offseason. Lawrence left the Dallas Cowboys, signed with the Seattle Seahawks, and won a Super Bowl. Maybe Fowler can take the same path. Jamie Sheriff, though, will likely be looking for a new place to play.
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