NFLPA Releases Scathing Statement on Jaguars After Winning Arbitration Grievance

The NFLPA didn't hold back on criticism of the Jaguars following winning a grievance over the team for fining players for missing offseason rehab.

A day after the Jacksonville Jaguars found their first win on the field in 49 days by defeating the Oakland Raiders in an emotional comeback victory, the team has found a way to lose off of the field as the NFL Players Association delivered a scathing statement on the team following winning an arbitration grievance. 

The NFLPA, the labor organization representing the league's players, released a statement Monday after a jointly appointed arbitrator ruled in their favor against the Jaguars in relation to fining players for missing offseason rehab appointments at the Jaguars' facilities.

"In a recent decision from a grievance filed by our union, and arbitrator confirmed that, under the CBA, clubs cannot require rehabilitation or medical appointments at team facilities during the off-season and pre-training camp period," the NFLPA said in a statement, which was also sent to players around the league. 

"Historically, our union has worked hard to secure broad freedoms for players after the season ends. For that reason, the CBA limits what a club may require of players during the off-season.

Despite this, the Jacksonville Jaguars recently decided that they would require injured players to get all off-season rehab at the Jaguars' facility. When players failed to attend these "mandatory" offseason rehab sessions in Jacksonville, they were disciplined by the club. "

This isn't something new for Jacksonville in the last three years. After executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin was hired in 2017, reports came out of agents and players being up in arms about this very topic.

Story from https://t.co/iIUrX32w2U in March 2017, after Tom Coughlin was hired: Jags rehab requirement might spark NFLPA grievance https://t.co/r1Fj0p4ctD

— Jaguars OnSI (@JaguarsOnSI) December 16, 2019

In response, the NFLPA filed a grievance challenging the club's right to discipline a player in those circumstances," the NFLPA said Monday. "For example, during the 2018 offseason program, the Jaguars find a player 25 times for missing "mandatory" appointments with a club trainer or physician. All told, the player was fined over $700,000 for missing offseason appointments. This is just one of the many grievances we had to file to protect our players from the Jaguars' actions. "

Mark Long of the Associated Press said the unnamed player was former defensive end Dante Fowler, who Jacksonville traded to the Los Angeles Rams later that season.

The unnamed player the Jaguars (Tom Coughlin) fined more than $700k in 2018 was Dante Fowler.

The fines have now been rescinded after an arbitrator sided with the NFLPA.

— Mark Long (@APMarkLong) December 16, 2019

Fowler responded to the NFLPA's statement with a tweet, claiming the Jaguars "hated" him.

They literally hated me . I got it all back though! Thanks to the NFLPA https://t.co/vUIg5tsKvr

— Dante fowler (@dantefowler) December 16, 2019

The NFLPA said the decision against the Jaguars came after he ruled no offseason activities can be forced by the team. The NFLPA had a similar issue with the team, and more specifically Coughlin, in April when it issued a statement against the team on voluntary workouts when Coughlin said all players should be in attendance.

Since there seems to some confusion over what a voluntary workout actually means...#NFLPA President @ericwinston 🗣 pic.twitter.com/QK1QFAj9MY

— NFLPA (@NFLPA) April 18, 2019

"The jointly appointed arbitrator rejected the Jaguars' arguments that they had a right to fine a player for not rehabbing at the club facility. He held that, with limited exceptions, offseason activities are "strictly voluntary," and no club can make those activities mandatory," the NFLPA said Monday. 

To end the statement, the union took fire at the Jaguars organization for it treats players, noting no other team in the entire NFL has as many of these issues.

"The decision puts a stop to the blatant overreach by the Jaguars and emphasizes the voluntary nature of almost all football activities during the off-season. It should be noted that Jaguars players continue to be at odds with Jaguars management over their rights under the CBA for more than players on other clubs," the union said. 

"In the last two years, more than 25% of the grievances filed by players in the entire league have been filed against the Jaguars. You as players may want to consider this when you have a chance to select your next club."