Leonard Fournette files grievance against Jaguars, goes unclaimed

The Jacksonville Jaguars waived running back Leonard Fournette yesterday and now the former fourth-overall pick wants his pay.

According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Fournette has officially filed a grievance against Jacksonville in an effort to recoup the $4.167M in base salary the team voided in 2018. Schefter also reported the running back was not claimed on waivers, and thus is officially a free agent - any team that wishes to sign the young running back, can.

The Jaguars voided the remaining guaranteed money in Fournette’s contract after the running back was suspended by the NFL for one game for violations of unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness.

Fournette was suspended after he left the bench during an offensive drive against the Buffalo Bills in 2018, after leaving the bench the former Jaguars running back ran across the field and punched Bills defensive lineman Shaq Lawson. Both players were subsequently ejected.

“Your brothers are getting attacked, they’re fighting out there, you’re going to have to go there and also protect your own, but at the same time, professional now, I mean, you can’t have that,” Fournette explained to reporters in 2018 following the loss. “I apologize to all those kids out there who look up to me and all of our fans. The biggest thing is this whole loss, totally on me. I take full responsibility.”

This was an expected battle after the Jaguars waived the running back for what Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said yesterday had nothing to do with any locker room behavior or off-the-field activities. “It strictly has to do [with] on the field,” Marrone said. “At the end of the day, we feel, like I said before, all those things that I said before, the skill sets of the guys we have and really that’s what led to the decision.”