Dante Fowler Jr. explained why he chose Seattle: he was impressed by the team’s standards and by coach Macdonald. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Twins rallied to beat Seattle (5-3), finishing with a winning record for the first time since April and reentering the playoff conversation.
Dante Fowler Jr. on joining the Seahawks: “I like the standard they have here”
When veteran defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence began trying to persuade his former Dallas teammate, Dante Fowler Jr., to move to Seattle, he barely needed to make an elaborate argument. All it took was one simple thought: if you want to be part of something special, this is where you go. Fowler, who at 32 continues to search for the best place to continue his career, admitted that he’d been keeping tabs on Lawrence even after the latter left the Cowboys—and that he was impressed by how Lawrence found a second wind with the Seahawks. Now 33, Lawrence played 16 games in the starting lineup last season, recorded six sacks—his best mark since 2022—and set a personal record by recovering a fumble twice and turning his own recoveries into scoring plays. For Seattle, that served as something of proof that even a veteran defender still has the ability to surprise, and the club now hopes that Fowler, even in a somewhat different role, can deliver a similar impact in a “seven-man front” rotation.
Fowler himself, who has played in Jacksonville, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington over the course of his career—and who began last season with 11 games for Dallas, more than any other season since 2020—has already started to feel the energy of the Pacific Northwest. After one of the practices by Lake Washington, where the skies above featured not only the Blue Angels but also actual bald eagles, he couldn’t hide his excitement. According to Fowler, he was captivated by the sight: a pair of eagles fighting over fish, and Fowler—who grew up in Florida—said he had never seen anything like it before. “My jaw dropped,” he laughed. “People were paddling canoes and watching, and I couldn’t look away. I’m from Florida—we don’t have that.”
Of course, it’s not only the scenery. Fowler has changed teams more than once, but he says the environment in Seattle genuinely draws him in. If Lawrence was what gave him the push to make the move, the final confidence came from the identity of head coach Mike Macdonald and the culture he’s building. “I like the standard they have here,” Fowler said in an interview with Seattle Sports. “A standard is a standard. You can see why they won the Super Bowl. I’m a football guy, and my dad is a coach—and he’d be happy I ended up on a team like this.” Fowler also compared Macdonald with other coaches under whom he has played, including Tom Coughlin, Dan Quinn, and Sean McVay. In his view, Macdonald is an easy person to talk to, with a sense of humor, who knows when to switch into work mode. “Me and him are kind of similar—socially awkward guys, but funny,” Fowler said. “I like the way he runs the team. It’s great to see a young coach who has everything so well organized.”
Worth special mention is that the upcoming Seahawks season will be featured in HBO’s documentary series Hard Knocks, which premieres Tuesday. In the released teaser, Macdonald addresses the team at the very start of filming, and the coach—using his trademark self-deprecating humor—calls himself “one of the most awkward people in the history of America.” Fowler, it seems, is right at home in that atmosphere. His move to Seattle isn’t just another change of teams—it’s a deliberate decision to join a project that, in the player’s view, has clear direction and serious ambitions. All that remains is to see whether it helps him find his own version of a “fountain of youth,” like Lawrence found his once. In his full interview available in the Bump and Stacy podcast on Seattle Sports, Fowler also talked about his first impressions from training camp and what truly surprised him about his new home.
It’s worth clarifying that, in this context, an “edge rusher” is a defensive player who specializes in attacking the quarterback from the edge of the line, and a “seven-man front rotation” means Fowler doesn’t necessarily have to play every snap—he can be used selectively to keep him fresh and to maintain pressure on opponents. As for Hard Knocks, it’s a well-known documentary series that shows the behind-the-scenes preparation of NFL teams for the season. For Seattle, participating is an additional chance to show fans the inner workings—but at the same time, it’s also a test of the ability to maintain focus under heightened attention. The “standard” line Fowler repeats may end up being one of the defining themes for the entire team this year, especially if the new veteran can contribute in the same way as his friend and former Dallas partner.
The Twins are back in the race: Minnesota pulls off a big win in Seattle
Friday’s game between Minnesota and Seattle reflected the entire season for both teams—one club surging quickly, the other sinking deeper into crisis. The Twins earned a gritty 5-3 win, and the result proved far more important than just another entry in the standings. For the first time since the end of April, Minnesota finished with a winning record: 56-55, which in itself shows just how rough a path the group had to travel to get back into the playoff fight. Now they share with Cleveland the final postseason spot in the American League, trailing the leading Chicago White Sox by three games, and every one of these matchups becomes a test of character.
The star of the game was Royce Lewis, who tied it in the seventh inning with a massive home run to left field. The blast didn’t just bring drama back to the contest—it became the starting point for the visitors’ decisive surge. Immediately after that, Luke Keaschall put Minnesota ahead with a double, and Ryan Jeffers added an insurance home run in the eighth, sending the ball into the Twins’ bullpen. For Jeffers, it was his 10th home run of the season, and it came at exactly the right time—Minnesota needed that extra cushion before the final pitching stretch.
As for Seattle, their situation is growing increasingly worrying. A third straight loss and eight defeats in ten games have dropped the team three games behind the leading Houston in the West Division. Still, the start looked promising for the home team: Cole Raleigh doubled with two outs in the first inning, and Cole Young homered. But that wasn’t enough to hold off the suddenly rolling offense from the visitors. Brooks Lee, answering Seattle’s first push with a two-run home run in the second inning, showed that Minnesota can regroup quickly—and respond with a punch of its own.
The Twins’ pitching also deserves special attention. Zebby Matthews worked five innings, allowing three runs, but also set a personal record with 10 strikeouts. Cody Funderburk added 1 1/3 perfect innings as the reliever, and Yoendris Gomez—despite two walks in the ninth inning—managed to maintain the lead and recorded his 14th save of the season. The ability to pull teams out of tough spots is exactly the kind of quality that separates playoff contenders from those watching from the sidelines.
For those not too deep into baseball terminology, it’s worth clarifying that a “strikeout” is when a pitcher makes a batter miss three times, while a “save” is credited to a pitcher who comes in as a substitute in the late part of the game and preserves the advantage for his team. A “double” is a hit that lets the batter reach second base, and a “home run” is when the ball clears the field of play, bringing runners home for runs. The ERA mentioned in the preview of the next game reflects the average number of earned runs a pitcher allows over a full nine-inning game.
It’s also worth noting Minnesota’s activity on the trade market: on Friday, the club acquired right-hander Dean Kremer from Baltimore and a veteran reliever, A.J. Minter, from the New York Mets. Those moves are clearly aimed at strengthening the roster during the crucial stretch of the season, and they could become a key factor in the fight for a postseason berth. The division situation is getting tense: Minnesota and Cleveland have identical records, and any slip could cost them a playoff ticket.
For Seattle, though, the news isn’t good: third baseman J.P. Crawford landed on the 10-day injured list with a wrist inflammation, and now the team—already struggling to produce results—will have to look for new options in the lineup. In the next game of the series on Seattle’s home turf, Logan Gilbert will take the mound with his solid 3.44 ERA, and Minnesota will go with Connor Prilippo. That matchup will be another test of how serious both teams’ claims are this season.
ESPN analysts, in their game recap, emphasize that Minnesota has finally started showing the consistency they were expected to have from the very start of the season. If the team keeps playing like this, it won’t be stopped— the only question is whether it has enough depth over the long haul. The playoff race promises to be intense, and wins like the one in Seattle could end up being decisive in the final standings.
