Cowboys 2026 Free Agent Profile: De Dante Fowler Jr.

The Dallas Cowboys have 22 players (UFA/RFA) who will officially hit the open market in a little over a month. Today, we continue our series examining each of the Cowboys’ impending free agents, reviewing their 2025 campaign and predicting what will be next for each player.

We continue our free agent profile series by taking a look at our third defensive player, Dante Fowler Jr. 

2025 Regular Season Stats: 17G, 30 Total Pressures, 20 QB Hurries, 7 QB Hits, 4 TFL, 3.0 Sacks, 72.8 Pass-Rush Grade

Year Review: Bringing back Dante Fowler was one of the most universally approved moves of Dallas’ offseason. After posting his best season in six years for Washington in 2024, the Cowboys reunited with the veteran pass rusher, signing him to a one-year, $6M deal.

While Fowler had never lived up to the hype he had as the number three overall pick back in 2015, the veteran was a more than capable pass rusher who could make a big impact in Dallas’ pass rush group. Coming off a season in which he registered 44 total pressures and 11 sacks, both the second-highest of his career, expectations were high for Fowler’s return to Dallas.

Unfortunately for both Fowler and the Cowboys, the veteran could not come close to replicating that production in 2025. The 31-year-old pass rusher saw all his pass rush stats drastically dip, posting career lows in total pressures, QB hurries, and sacks.

As a whole, the Cowboys’ pass rush group was extremely underwhelming last season, and Fowler’s disappointing year played a big part in the overall struggles of the group. When Dallas brought Fowler back, they expected him to be a similar player to what he was during his first stint in Dallas, where he totaled 66 total pressures and 11 sacks in 429 pass rush snaps. The veteran did not get close to that level of production last season.

Free Agency Outlook: Thankfully for Fowler, teams are always looking for pass-rush help. Capable pass rushers with a proven track record are hard to come by during free agency, so the veteran will almost certainly have a decent market as a free agent. Even after a down year, Spotrac projects Fowler to earn a one-year, $5.1M deal this spring, very close to the $6M he earned in Dallas last season.

Last year, we saw veterans Derek Barnett, Emmanuel Ogbah, and Charles Omenihu sign one-year deals worth $3.2-$4M. Fowler will likely follow in the same vein this spring, as it’s unlikely a team will be willing to give him a multi-year contract with his career trajectory hanging in the balance.

One thing that may end up hurting Fowler’s projection is the depth of this year’s edge free agency class. Joey Bosa, Jadeveon Clowney, Trey Hendrickson, Khalil Mack, Odafe Oweh, Jaelen Phillips, and Kwitty Paye are just some of the edge defenders set to hit the open market this spring. 

All things considered,  it seems like a guarantee Fowler will sign his fifth-straight one-year contract this spring. 

Cowboys Verdict: Dante Fowler takes a back seat when you think about the importance of retaining Dallas’ impending free agents. He’s not at the level of the big three (Clowney, Pickens, Williams), but with the lack of talent in their pass rush group, bringing the veteran back would be a worthwhile proposition. 

Even after such a disaster of a year on the defensive side of the ball, Fowler was open about his willingness to return to Dallas at season’s end.

If Fowler wants to come back, which it seems he does, Dallas should be all over signing the veteran to another one-year, affordable deal. He won’t reach the $6M mark he did last spring, but a $3.5-4M contract would make plenty of sense for both sides.

Prediction: Dante Fowler signs a one-year, $4M deal with the Dallas Cowboys.