Expectations were high in Arlington when the Dallas Cowboys brought Dante Fowler Jr. back. The veteran had one of the best seasons of his career, leading the Washington Commanders with 10.5 sacks in his first season away from Dallas.
Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to live up to the hype. He has yet to record a single sack after three weeks, and he's done little to help Matt Eberflus' pass rush make up for the loss of Micah Parsons. Now, he might finally catch a break.
Dante Fowler Needs to Dominate Against the Packers
As pointed out by Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Green Bay Packers won't have Zach Tom on Sunday. They will give their starting right tackle some more time to rest and recover from his ailing oblique injury.
The Packers will also be without Aaron Banks, with Jordan Morgan and Donovan Jennings most likely filling in. That leaves the door wide open for Fowler to finally earn the $6 million the Cowboys gave him in the offseason.
So far, Fowler has only logged one pass defended, two total tackles (both assists), and two quarterback hits. He may have lost a step at 31 years old, but the Cowboys can't afford to have him just doing light cardio for 17 weeks.
Cowboys Must Bench Dante Fowler if He Keeps Struggling
Failure to step up at home and against a team with a banged-up offensive line should be just enough for the Cowboys to pull the plug on Fowler. He's signed to a one-year deal, but if they don't want to cut or trade him, they should at least bench him.
The Cowboys have two young pass-rushers in Marshawn Kneeland and Donovan Ezeiruaku just waiting for their turn. The pair of second-round picks have yet to play at least 50 percent of defensive snaps in a game this season, but they could carve a bigger role if Fowler continues to flop.
Even if Fowler gets it together, Ezeiruaku and Kneeland are the future of this team's defense, so they should look to put them in a position to succeed and prioritize their development over an aging veteran who might not even be there next season.
So far, the Cowboys have logged the fourth-fewest sacks (4) in the entire league, and that's not the mark of a winning team. So, if Fowler can't contribute to the cause, there's no reason to keep him around for much longer.