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Michael DiRocco, ESPN Staff Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Happy Birthday! Now find a new job.
That’s what happened to Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi on Monday. The team’s official X account wished him a Happy Birthday in the morning. Several hours later the team released him, a league source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Happy birthday, 94! 🎉@FISGlobal | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/P0SyWYuZJB
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) March 4, 2024
The Jaguars’ social media team had no idea a release was coming, and the team’s management didn’t have any idea the social media team was going to wish Fatukasi a Happy Birthday, but this kind of situation can sometimes happen as things play out in early March when teams start making moves to save money and create salary cap space in preparation for the new league year.
Releasing Fatukasi, who turned 29 on Monday, saves the Jaguars $3.5 million against the cap but the team also will absorb $9.269 million in dead money.
Fatukasi signed a three-year, $30 million contract with $20 million guaranteed in March 2022, but the run-stuffing tackle did not equal the final two seasons he had with the New York Jets in 2020-21, when he combined for 88 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 11 quarterback hits.
With the Jaguars, Fatukasi had 48 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and 5 quarterback hits.