FRISCO, Texas – On March 9, the NFL's legal tampering period will begin for pending free agents.
The Cowboys will have their fair share of free agents on the roster, which of course they can agree to terms with and sign at any time before that period.
From unrestricted free agents to restricted and exclusive rights free agents, Dallas has a lot of decisions to make over the next month when it comes to how they want to construct their roster for 2026, and even beyond.
With that, we'll examine each pending free agent on the Cowboys' current roster, continuing today with defensive end Dante Fowler.
How He Got Here
Fowler signed a one-year, $6 million deal going into the 2025 season, returning to the Cowboys after spending the 2024 season in Washington with the Commanders and former Cowboys DC Dan Quinn.
In that lone season with Dallas' NFC East rivals, Fowler recorded the second-most sacks in a single season of his career with 10.5 to go along with a 14 tackles for loss and a pick six. He played in all 17 games for Washington, and started seven. With the addition of Fowler, the Cowboys hoped adding a veteran to the pass rush arsenal would help get after the quarterback.
What He Did in 2025
Fowler played in all 17 games for the Cowboys, starting 11 of them, and finished the year with 15 tackles, four tackles for loss and three sacks. It was certainly not the year that Fowler wanted, nor the Cowboys as a whole on the defensive side of the ball.
Fowler was dealing with injuries over the course of the season, which didn't help his case either. After the Cowboys traded away Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, there was more rotation at defensive end and Dallas went on to finish tied for 22nd in the NFL in sacks with 35.
Why He Could Stay
If Fowler can get back healthy, there's no reason to think that he can't be a valuable veteran piece on a defense that is set to likely have a lot of changes in 2026. He's familiar with Dallas having spent three of his 10 seasons with the Cowboys.
At 6'3, 261 pounds, he could fit the mold of what new defensive coordinator Christian Parker is looking for in an outside linebacker in his new scheme.
Why He Could Leave
On the other side of the coin, Fowler may not fit what Parker is looking for in an outside linebacker as he builds his inaugural defense with the Cowboys. In a year where there could be lots of overhaul on the defensive personnel, Fowler may be one of the players Dallas elects to move on from.
The 2026 season will be the 11th of Fowler's career, and he's played for five different franchises over the course of that time. If the Cowboys don't see him as a fit, there's a chance another team in search of a veteran edge piece could be a better home at this stage in his career.
