The third overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft won’t have the option on his contract for the 2019 season exercised before Thursday’s deadline.
Jaguars executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin announced that the Jaguars have decided not to pick up defensive end Dante Fowler’s contract. The option would have put them in line to pay Fowler $14.2 million next year, although Jacksonville could have rescinded it as long as Fowler was healthy enough to pass a physical.
An injury got Fowler’s pro career off on the wrong foot as he tore his ACL during a rookie minicamp practice shortly after being drafted. He returned to record four sacks in 16 games the next year and had eight to help the Jags to an AFC South title in 2017.
Couglin said that progression, which also included two sacks of Tom Brady in the AFC title game, has the Jaguars interested in finding another deal that would keep Fowler in the fold. Fowler could opt to bet on a continued rise leading into unrestricted free agency, although it remains to be seen how high he could push the ceiling with Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue also on hand at defensive end.