The Jacksonville Jaguars delivered a warm message to defensive end Foley Fatukasi Monday morning.
Then they fired him. Reportedly.
At 7:19 a.m. ET, the Jaguars wished Fatukasi happy birthday. The six-season NFL veteran turned 29 on Monday.
Happy birthday, 94! 🎉@FISGlobal | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/P0SyWYuZJB
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) March 4, 2024
Roughly 4 1/2 hours later, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported that the Jags were releasing him.
#Jaguars are releasing DT Foley Fatukasi, source says, saving them $3.5 million on the salary cap.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 4, 2024
There was no immediate confirmation on the Jaguars X/Twitter account that Fatukasi had been released. The top post on their timeline remained their happy birthday wish.
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Fatukasi's reported release didn't come as a surprise. The Jaguars face a salary cap squeeze this offseason if they intend to offer deals to pending free agents Josh Allen and Calvin Ridley. They had $25.7 million in cap space prior to the reported release of Fatukasi, but Allen and Ridley project to eat up that space in the event that they return, meaning the Jaguars need to find cap room elsewhere.
Fatukasi made a limited impact last season with 24 total tackles including three tackles for loss in 16 starts. With the $3.5 million in cap savings attached to his release, he was a prime cut candidate in the cutthroat world of NFL salary cap math.
But the Jaguars didn't have to do him like this. Certainly they could have timed things a little bit better.
