We already discussed Dante Fowler’s pay cut saving the team $7 million earlier this offseason, but it also appears the final year of his three-year deal has been voided too.
Per Over The Cap, not only did the #Falcons save $7M by getting Fowler to agree to a paycut but they also voided his 2022 contract year which means he is not under contract after this coming season. His dead cap charge of $4.66M will be all that’s left. https://t.co/3ZsO8F2oEC
— Matt Karoly (@mattkaroly) March 25, 2021
Indeed, Fowler will only be owed $4.6 million in 2022, but how? Voiding in the NFL can be a bit weird, but in its simplest form, the Falcons will cut him a check for that amount, and he will be a free agent. While he was much easier to cut next offseason, this still saves the Falcons a good amount of money before June 1st.
Over the Cap projects the 2022 NFL salary cap at about $203,000,000; I think it may come in higher than that number, but regardless, this would give Atlanta a projected $42.2 million in cap space as it stands before the draft, and before any other moves are made.
This is good news for Atlanta, as they should be much more flexible next offseason and be able to target high-end free agents that require multi-year deals. The other side of that coin is a little more dangerous. If Fowler records double-digit sacks and plays out of his mind, Atlanta has made a big mistake. It’s a gamble, but one that may be worth taking for Terry Fontenot and company.
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