Jaguars release veteran DT Foley Fatukasi on his 29th birthday to save $3.5M against the cap

The Jacksonville Jaguars cut veteran defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi on his 29th birthday.

The Jaguars made the move Monday a few hours after wishing Fatukasi a happy birthday on social media. Releasing him will save the Jaguars roughly $3.5 million against the 2024 salary cap.

Fatukasi will still cost the team $9.3 million in dead money. He signed a three-year, $30 million contract with Jacksonville in 2022 that included $20 million guaranteed. He was due to count nearly $13 million against the cap this year.

And he was coming off a season in which he started 16 games and finished with a career-low-tying 24 tackles. He has 163 tackles and 4 1/2 sacks in six NFL seasons, the first four with the New York Jets.

The Jaguars are switching defensive schemes under new coordinator Ryan Nielsen and are counting on DaVon Hamilton, Roy Robertson-Harris and second-year pro Tyler Lacy to replace Fatukasi.

Reporting by The Associated Press.