Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons

Falcons release linebacker Dante Fowler

Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady is sacked by Falcons outside linebacker Dante Fowler. Fowler, who was released Wednesday, finished with 4.5 sacks last season. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times)

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady is sacked by Falcons outside linebacker Dante Fowler. Fowler, who was released Wednesday, finished with 4.5 sacks last season. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times)
By
Feb 16, 2022

The Falcons released outside linebacker Dante Fowler on Wednesday.

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Fowler signed with the Falcons in March 2020, after recording 11.5 sacks for the Rams in the 2019 season. He was an underachiever with the Falcons, completing two seasons in which he registered 7.5 sacks. He played in 28 of 33 games, including 19 starts.

Fowler was to become an unrestricted free agent when free agency begins March 16.

After an injury-plagued 2020, Fowler restructured his contract with the Falcons with a heavy dose of incentives. He would have earned an extra $1 million if he reached five sacks in 2021, $2 million for seven sacks, $3 million for nine sacks and $4 million had he reached 11. He fell just short of the extra million, finishing with 4.5 sacks.

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Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.

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