Seahawks Fill Last Major Need, Ink Dante Fowler Jr. to One-Year Deal
Despite doubling their draft picks from four to eight during the 2026 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks surprisingly didn’t use a single one of those selections on an EDGE defender, which many pundits viewed as one of their most significant needs coming out of free agency. Now, they’ve rectified that concern with an anticipated post-draft free agent signing that should be a win for team and player.
After visiting with the team last month weeks before the draft, the Seahawks have reportedly agreed to terms with veteran pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. on a one-year deal. Per multiple sources, the deal could earn the former top-five pick up to $5 million in 2026 and since the signing occurred after the first Monday following the draft, it will not impact the compensatory pick formula.
Starring at Florida, Fowler emerged as one of the top prospects in the 2015 NFL Draft, and the Jaguars selected him third overall with hopes of him emerging as a superstar quarterback hunter, only for him to miss his entire rookie season with a torn ACL suffered in rookie minicamp. After two and a half inconsistent seasons following the injury, Jacksonville traded him to the Los Angeles Rams at the deadline for a pair of draft picks, and he enjoyed a long-awaited breakout season in 2019 with a career-high 11.5 sacks, turning that production into a three-year, $45 million deal with Atlanta.
