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Leonard Fournette reportedly filing a grievance for voided 2020 salary from Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars released Leonard Fournette and saving Fournette’s salary had to be part of the reason.

Maybe they won’t be saving that money after all.

Fournette has filed a grievance over the $4.167 million base salary the team voided, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It’s not the first time the team and the former first-round draft pick have battled over money.

The uneasy Jaguars-Fournette relationship isn’t finished quite yet.

Leonard Fournette, Jaguars have been at odds before

The Jaguars and Fournette have butted heads since Fournette was the fourth pick of the 2017 draft.

The franchise suspended Fournette for a game during his rookie season for “an infraction of a team rule.” Fournette said late last season he won a grievance — one of many filed by Jaguars players while Tom Coughlin was executive vice president — over a $99,000 fine handed out because Fournette was sitting on the bench during the 2018 season finale when he was inactive.

The battle that matters now stems from a one-game suspension, issued by the NFL, for an on-field fight against the Buffalo Bills in 2018. The Jaguars claimed that suspension voided the rest of the guaranteed money in his contract. Fournette filed a grievance and Pro Football Talk said that grievance has not been settled.

Now, that decision is worth more than $4 million.

Leonard Fournette has filed a grievance against the Jaguars after being released. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski, File)
Leonard Fournette has filed a grievance against the Jaguars after being released. (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski, File)

Jaguars wanted to void Fournette’s guaranteed money

The Jaguars turned off just about every player who was with them in the Coughlin era, constantly antagonizing them with egregious fines.

The team’s claim that Fournette’s fight with then-Bills end Shaq Lawson allowed them to void the remaining guaranteed money in his rookie deal — which included his 2020 salary — was dubious. It seemed like Jacksonville was searching for a loophole if it wanted to cut a player who hadn’t lived up to his draft expectations.

Fournette cleared waivers and is a free agent, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Media. There were no teams clamoring to trade for him before the Jaguars cut him. But Fournette might find himself making a nice salary this season no matter what, if he wins his grievance.

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