FILE PHOTO: Dec 1, 2019; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (56) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The NFL Players Association won a grievance against the Jacksonville Jaguars through an NFL arbiter on Monday after the team had fined players for missing offseason appointments with a trainer or physician.
According to ESPN, former Jaguars linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. was fined as much as $700,000 by the team for missing appointments during the 2018 offseason. Fowler, who reportedly filed a grievance on the matter, was traded to the Los Angeles Rams during the 2018 season and contributed to the team’s Super Bowl run.
After news of the decision broke, Fowler seemed to confirm on Twitter that he was the player in question.
“They literally hated me. I got it all back though! Thanks to the NFLPA,” Fowler tweeted. He also retweeted a tweet that stated Fowler was the unnamed player in the grievance.
The players association sent a letter to players saying that offseason activities are voluntary, although there are limited exceptions. Teams are not allowed to mandate attendance at medical appointments on site during the offseason, or in the period just before training camp.
According to the letter to players, the Jaguars are involved in as many as 25 percent of the grievances filed by NFL players over the last two years. The players association advised future free agents to consider that fact when selecting a team.
Former Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin has been the team’s executive vice president of football operations since 2017, though no individual member of the Jaguars was named in the NFLPA letter.
—Field Level Media