NFLPA Wins Grievance Against Jaguars For ‘Blatant Overreach’ Violating Offseason CBA Rules

The NFLPA released a statement announcing it has won an arbitration grievance against the Jacksonville Jaguars after the team attempted to mandate all players receive offseason rehab at the team facility. 

NFLPA won an arbitration grievance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Said Jags tried requiring players to get all offseason medical treatment at team facility, which contravenes the CBA. “You as players may want to consider this when you have a chance to select your next club.” pic.twitter.com/S1eyqqw8cg

— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) December 16, 2019

The NFLPA revealed that players who did not attend rehab sessions with the Jaguars were fined for missing “mandatory” offseason activities which the NFLPA successfully argued could not be counted as mandatory under the terms of the CBA.

Per Mark Long, the Jaguars fined DE Dante Fowler 35 times totaling $700,000 for missing appointments with the team trainer or physician. Other players, notably CB Jalen Ramsey, have also butted heads with the organization over offseason activities. 

“This is just one of the many grievances we had to file to protect our players from the Jaguars’ actions,” the NFLPA said in its statement. 

The arbitrator rejected Jacksonville’s argument that it had a right to fine players, saying that with limited exceptions, offseason activities are “strictly voluntary” and cannot be mandated by teams. 

The NFLPA added that in the past two years, more than a quarter of all grievances filed by players against teams have been against the Jaguars. 

“It should be noted that Jaguars players continue to be at odds with Jaguars management over their rights under the CBA far more than players on other clubs,” the statement continued. “You as players may want to consider this when you have a chance to select your next club.”