Jaguars Dante Fowler Jr. Suspended For First Game of 2018
By David Levin
The Jacksonville Jaguars will face the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium for the first game of the NFL season, but defensive end Dante Fowler, Jr will not be on the sideline.
The Jacksonville Jaguars announced on Friday that Dante Fowler Jr., the fourth-year player from the University of Florida has been suspended by the NFL for the first game of the season for violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. Jacksonville’s website, Jaguars.com released a statement from Tom Coughlin, the team’s Executive Vice-President of Football Operations.
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"“We were informed today of Dante’s one-game suspension and we will abide by the league’s ruling. We’ll work to get Dante ready to play when he is able to return,” Coughlin said."
Per ESPN.com and other websites, the news of Fowler’s suspension comes after the former first-round draftee pleaded no contest to charges of battery, criminal mischief and petit theft in which he was arrested for last July in his hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida.
Fowler, who did not participate in with the team’s three weeks of OTAs or minicamp earlier this year due to an upper-body injury, was told by the organization would not pick up the fifth-year option of his rookie deal back in May. It was reported the team was still open to signing Fowler after this season.
Statement from @Jaguars Executice Vice President of Football Operations Tom Coughlin: pic.twitter.com/3SF6GTH54D
— Tad Dickman (@TDickman89) May 2, 2018
Fowler had the best season of his career in 2017 with eight quarterback sacks, 41 tackles, and two forced fumbles. He had two sacks in the postseason.
This is really Fowler’s third season with Jacksonville. After being drafted in 2015, he suffered an ACL tear during rookie minicamp, which wiped out his entire first year in the league. In his “rookie” season with the Jaguars, he registered four sacks in 16 games.
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Fowler and the Jaguars were second in overall defense in the NFL last season and second in the league in sacks with 55.