Dante Fowler Jr. bet on himself this season by signing a one-year deal with the Rams. Rather than going for a long-term contract that would’ve come with less guaranteed money and an overall lower annual salary, Fowler took a deal worth $12 million for one year.
It appears to be a good gamble by the 25-year-old pass rusher, who was taken third overall by the Jaguars in 2015. He has a career-high 11 sacks, 16 quarterback hits and 16 tackles for loss, proving to be a quality No. 2 option next to Aaron Donald.
Folwer would like to keep it that way and remain with the Rams beyond this season, but he knows the business of the NFL. The Rams don’t have a lot of cap space to work with in 2020, and with Cory Littleton also a pending free agent, Fowler may not be in the cards for Los Angeles.
“It would be nice to stay with the best player in the league, A.D., and have Jalen (Ramsey) and me and Cory — that would be really cool. But there’s so many good players on this team, and I know how the business goes,” he told Gary Klein of the L.A. Times.
The Rams have a lot to figure out with their salary cap and overall roster makeup, which Fowler understands. He’s also going to do what’s best for himself financially, and the Rams may not be able to offer him as much as other teams.
“I would love to stay here and see if something worked out,” Fowler said. “I know they have their hands full, so we’ll just see how it works out.”