Atlanta found a way to get under the salary cap prior to the start of the new league year on Wednesday, restructuring the contract of quarterback Matt Ryan and a few other players.
The Falcons freed up $14 million in cap space by restructuring with Ryan, another $2 million from defensive lineman Tyeler Davison, and according to The Athletic’s Jeff Schultz, Falcons defensive end Dante Fowler has taken a pay cut.
I've been told Falcons edge rusher Dante Fowler, who is scheduled to earn a $13 million base salary in 2021, has accepted a pay reduction, which will reduce his scheduled cap figure of $18.541 million. Specifics are not yet official. @TheAthletic
— Jeff Schultz (@JeffSchultzATL) March 17, 2021
Fowler has always possessed immense talent, however, his NFL production just hasn’t been nearly consistent enough to warrant the kind of contract he’s getting on a team that had to create $30 million in space to just barely get out of the red.
His breakout 2019 season came in a contract year, which helped him net a three-year, $48 million contract in Atlanta. Fowler’s 2020 season was a major disappointment, though. The 26-year-old will look to bounce back this season in Dean Pees’ defense.
Per Over The Cap’s projections, the Falcons are $1.3 million under the cap, but Fowler’s unspecified pay reduction hasn’t yet been made official. The Falcons did announce their trade with Buffalo, acquiring Bills tight end Lee Smith in exchange for Atlanta’s 2022 seventh-round pick.
