The Seattle Seahawks didn't select an edge rusher in the 2026 NFL draft, which suggested the team would still try to sign a veteran or two in free agency. Seattle lost Boye Mafe to the Cincinnati Bengals, and hasn't done anything to replace him. Until now.
The team is reportedly signing Dante Fowler Jr., a longtime veteran who has a connection to Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde. Durde was the defensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys when the team employed Fowler in 2022 and 2023, and Durde was the outside linebackers coach for the Atlanta Falcons when Fowler was there in 2020.
The deal is for one year and only $5 million. In other words, cheap.
Seattle Seahawks reportedly sign veteran edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr.
Few coaches would know better how to use the soon-to-be 32-year-old edge rusher than Seattle's DC, but the issue is that Fowler is seemingly only decent when used one way. He isn't good against the run and, therefore, isn't going to set a hard edge very well.
This indicates he can only be a rotational player on obvious passing downs, a situation which would not help head coach Mike Macdonald disguise his defensive alignments, and Macdonald loves to do that. Having Fowler on the field would be a tell for the offense.
Fowler has been good at chasing down opposing quarterbacks in his career, at least, though he only had three sacks for the Cowboys in 2025 and has only had more than six sacks twice since 2020. That isn't elite production for a fairly one-dimensional player, especially in a great Seahawks defense.
The edge rusher's pass-rush win-rate has been quite good, and he also stays healthy (he hasn't missed any games since 2021), so he can be counted on to play, and that is one advantage that other free agent edge rushers, such as Joey Bosa, don't have. Bosa has a long injury history.
Perhaps general manager John Schneider has an eye on signing multiple edge rushers. Adding Dante Fowler Jr. doesn't mean the Seattle Seahawks can't do something else. The team still has quite a bit of cap space left, and signing a couple of players to one-year deals won't harm the future and could have an immediate payoff.
The above would make sense since Fowler could still have a positive impact in pressuring quarterbacks. He also would understand how Aden Durde communicates, making the move to Seattle smoother. Maybe he gets some veteran help from another free agent signing. Anything is possible with the Seahawks.
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