Folorunso Fatukasi - Pro Football Rumors

NFL Contract Notes: Fatukasi, Jackson, Diggs

June 7th, 2025 at 3:32pm CST by Ely Allen

A month ago, we saw the Texans re-sign defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi to keep him in Houston for the second straight season. After watching the Jaguars terminate his three-year, $30MM deal a year early, Houston added him to the roster last year for only $5.13MM on a one-year contract.

In his second year with the team, Fatukasi has taken a discount to remain a Texan. In 2025, he’ll play on a reduced one-year, $3MM contract, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Wilson adds that the deal includes $1.5MM in guarantees comprised of a $1MM signing bonus and $500K of his base salary (worth $1.5MM in 2025). Fatukaski will represent a $2.82MM hit to Houston’s salary cap. He’ll also have the opportunity to earn an additional $500K over the course of the deal with $29,411 per game active roster bonuses.

Here are a few other interesting contract notes from around the AFC:

For the second straight offseason, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been absent from team activities in Baltimore. Mike Florio of NBC Sports notes that the absence will reduce Jackson’s 2025 compensation $750K from $43.5MM to $42.75MM. The reduction is a result of Jackson not fulfilling a clause to participate in 27 of 32 team workouts. Obviously, over the course of a five-year, $260MM deal, one would hardly notice a $1.5MM drop over two years, but he may not be without it for long. As rumors begin to form focusing on a new extension to keep Jackson in line with the constantly inflating market, the $1.5MM bonuses would be an easy throw-in somewhere within the likely $60+MM per year deal.
Jackson isn’t alone losing out on money this offseason. Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs and Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs each decided to surrender their bonuses in order to work out together in Miami this summer, per Ben Volin of The Boston Globe. Dallas will avoid paying Diggs $500K due to the absence. Volin posits that New England likely didn’t expect to see Diggs in workouts this summer, noting that, if they had wanted to see him there, they could have offered him more than the $200K he’s now missing out on. Following a bit of controversy in Miami, he’s now present in New England and should be at mandatory minicamp this week.

Texans To Re-Sign DT Foley Fatukasi

May 7th, 2025 at 9:13am CST by Sam Robinson

More veteran defensive line help is heading to Houston. The Texans are reuniting with Foley Fatukasi, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.

Fatukasi spent last season with the team, coming over after a Jaguars release. Fatukasi will join one of the most experienced defensive tackle groups in recent NFL history. The Texans now roster Fatukasi, Sheldon Rankins, Denico Autry, Mario Edwards and Tim Settle at the position.

Rankins is going into his 10th season, while Edwards is heading into Year 11. Autry has both beat, being set for his 12th NFL campaign. Fatukasi and Settle, by comparison, are youngsters; each will be in an eighth slate come 2025. This is an interesting veterans-only setup the Texans are attempting, and Fatukasi will be back after lingering in free agency for nearly two months.

The Texans used Fatukasi as a full-time starter last season. The former Jets sixth-rounder logged 11 starts, missing six games due to injury. Fatukasi, 30, missed six of the Texans’ final seven games. The shoulder injury Fatukasi sustained delayed his free agency process, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds. Giving Fatukasi a 46% snap rate on defense, the AFC South champions saw the low-cost DT produce a sack and four tackles for loss. He added a key TFL during the Texans’ wild-card win as well. The imposing interior presence has never been known as a pressure artist, with run-stuffing more the DT’s calling card.

The above-referenced quartet of previously acquired D-tackles have Houston covered for inside pressure to complement Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., while the team will hope Fatukasi can potentially help his D-line mates see better matchups. Pro Football Focus has not been remotely as high as teams on Fatukasi — at least, not since his early Jets years. The advanced metrics website ranked the UConn alum as the third-worst interior D-line regular last season. This marked a steep drop from his second and final Jaguars campaign, when PFF slotted him 60th at the position.

Jacksonville shed Fatukasi’s three-year, $30MM deal from its payroll in 2024. Houston added him on a one-year, $5.13MM accord. DeMeco Ryans‘ D-line will include veteran contracts surrounding Anderson, with Derek Barnett and Darrell Taylor in place at defensive end as well. The Texans also circled back to DT Kurt Hinish rather than tender him as an RFA. While the Texans will need a long-term D-tackle plan soon, they are going stopgap-heavy in 2025.

Texans To Re-Sign Kurt Hinish; Latest On Team’s DL Plans

March 6th, 2025 at 10:27pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Texans’ defensive line could feature a number of different faces in the near future. At least one in-house option will be back for 2025, however.

Kurt Hinish has agreed to a one-year deal to remain in Houston, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. The contract has a base value of $1.8MM, but it can max out at $2.35MM. Hinish was on course for restricted free agency, but today’s move ensures he will remain in place without a tender being issued.

The 25-year-old has remained a regular rotational contributor along the defensive front over each of his three years with the Texans. Overall, Hinish has started four of his 42 appearances, totaling 57 tackles and 1.5 sacks along the way. He was unavailable for Houston during the playoffs this past campaign, but in 2023 he notched a pair of sacks as part of the team’s run to the divisional round.

Hinish will be counted on to remain a depth option along the D-line next season, but changes to that unit could be coming soon. Wilson reports both Foley Fatukasi and Mario Edwards can be expected to reach free agency. The former is dealing with a shoulder injury which requires surgery, Wilson notes. That could hinder Fatukasi’s market, although he is expected to recover in time for the 2025 campaign.

Edwards was hit with a four-game PED suspension in October. The former second-round pick has now played 10 seasons. Exiting his age-31 season, Edwards has already played for seven teams. His 12 Texans starts last year, however, were his most in a season since 2017. Edwards notched three sacks and tallied eight QB hits, recovering two fumbles and batting down two passes. With the nomadic DT’s status uncertain, another well-traveled interior rusher is back on Houston’s radar.

The Texans are interested in bringing back Sheldon Rankins, Wilson adds. A Houston starter in 2023, Rankins opted for a Bengals deal over a Texans effort to re-sign him. He did not impress in Cincinnati and has already been cut. The Texans are expected to explore a reunion before free agency, Wilson adds. Rankins, 32 in April, started all 15 games he played in DeMeco Ryans‘ system that year and registered six sacks — his most since 2018.

The down Cincinnati season will hurt Rankins’ market, after he had signed a two-year, $24.5MM deal last year. The Texans had Rankins on a one-year, $9.75MM pact in 2023. Ryans’ team had made a $12MM-per-year offer in March 2024; it is safe to say Houston’s 2025 proposal will probably check in south of that range.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

AFC Contract Details: Titans, Jeudy, Browns, Brown, Bengals, Broncos, Bills, Jets, Texans

March 27th, 2024 at 4:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are contract details from some of the latest deals agreed to around the league.

Calvin Ridley, WR (Titans). Four years, $92MM. In addition to his $20MM signing bonus, Ridley will see his first two base salaries ($4.5MM, $22,5MM) fully guaranteed. If on Tennessee’s roster by Day 5 of the 2025 league year, Ridley will receive a $3.02MM guarantee for his 2026 base salary ($20.24MM), per OverTheCap. If Ridley remains on Tennessee’s roster by Day 5 of the 2026 league year, he will earn a $1MM bonus. This still stands to give the Titans some 2026 flexibility.
Jerry Jeudy, WR (Browns). Three years, $52.5MM. The recently traded wideout’s base value, as expected, checks in lower than the initial numbers. The ex-Denver target will see guarantees into his the deal’s third year, with SI.com’s Albert Breer noting $6MM will be guaranteed for 2026. Jeudy received $41MM guaranteed at signing.
Curtis Samuel, WR (Bills). Three years, $24MM. The Bills are guaranteeing $5MM of Samuel’s $6.91MM 2025 base salary at signing. The entire ’25 base is guaranteed for injury, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Samuel will be due a $1MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2026 league year; his $6.51MM 2026 salary is nonguaranteed.
John Simpson, G (Jets). Two years, $12MM. This number is down a bit from the initial $18MM figure, which is the deal’s max value. Simpson will see $6MM guaranteed, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes. The Jets used three void years to spread out the cap hits; the fifth-year guard is on New York’s books at $3.2MM in 2024.
Folorunso Fatukasi, DT (Texans). One year, $5.2MM. The recent Jacksonville cut will receive $4.6MM guaranteed at signing on his Houston pact, Wilson tweets. The Texans tacked two void years onto the veteran nose tackle’s deal.
Trent Brown, T (Bengals). One year, $4.75MM. The veteran tackle will receive $2MM guaranteed, with OverTheCap indicating $1MM will be available in per-game roster bonuses with another $250K in play via a workout bonus. A bonus-laden structure is not new for Brown, who had weight clauses in his most recent two Patriots contracts.
Solomon Thomas, DL (Jets). One year, $3MM. The Jets are guaranteeing the former No. 3 overall pick $2.5MM, Cimini adds.
Mike Edwards, S (Bills). One year, $2.8MM. The former Tampa Bay and Kansas City safety can earn up to $4MM on his Buffalo deal, ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan tweets. He is on the Bills’ cap at $2.8MM.
Cody Barton, LB (Broncos). One year, $2.46MM. The Broncos will land the veteran linebacker for more than $1MM cheaper than the Commanders did in 2023. Denver is guaranteeing $2.33MM of the deal, per the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson.
Desmond King, CB (Texans). One year, $1.8MM. Veteran slot cornerback/return man’s contract can max out at $2.2MM, Wilson tweets.

Texans To Sign DT Foley Fatukasi

March 10th, 2024 at 3:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

Named as a suitor for the top defensive tackle set to hit free agency, the Texans will make a lower-end addition at the position. Foley Fatukasi has agreed to a one-year deal with Houston, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports.

Fatukasi was released by the Jaguars last week in a move which ended his two-year run with the team. Suitors emerged rather quickly, though, and the Texans were among those which hosted him on a visit. The run-stop specialist did not need to wait until free agency to land a deal, and he has found a new home in short order.

After a four-year run with the Jets on his rookie deal, the 29-year-old landed a $30MM pact with Jacksonville. Fatukasi did not develop into an impact pass-rusher during his time as a Jaguar, though, leading to the team’s decision to move on with one year left on his pact. He will now aim to maintain a starting role as part of Houston’s defensive line, a unit which has been the source of speculation related to a major addition.

The Texans loom as a potential suitor for Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins. With Chris Jones having landed a monster re-up with the Chiefs, Wilkins comfortably sits atop the list of the best interior defenders who will reach the open market this week. Houston could still be aggressive in pursuing a deal with the former first-rounder, but if that falls short the team will have an experienced rotational option at a minimum in the form of Fatukasi.

Houston entered Sunday with almost $63MM in cap space, so a (presumably) low-cost Fatukasi deal will not tangibly limit the team’s spending power at the position. The Texans will not have Sheldon Rankins in place next season, something which will limit them from an interior pass-rushing perspective as things stand. Fatukasi will help in the run defense department, though, as he makes an intra-divisional move.

Texans, Bills Host DT Foley Fatukasi

March 7th, 2024 at 5:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

After the Jaguars ditched three defensive starters to create cap space earlier this week, one of them is already generating interest on the market. Foley Fatukasi has made two visits since his Jacksonville exit.

The Texans met with the veteran defensive tackle, according to NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo, who adds that meeting took place Wednesday. The Bills brought the ex-Jets draftee to town today, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. Other teams have expressed interest, per Garafolo, and it appears a deal could come together before the market opens.

Because the Jags released Fatukasi, he is a street free agent and does not need to wait until next week — as unrestricted free agents do — to speak with teams. Fatukasi, whom the Jags cut on his 29th birthday, has been a regular run-stopping presence in New York and Jacksonville. Pro Football Focus did not view the UConn alum as being worth the deal the Jags authorized (three years, $30MM), grading him as one of the league’s worst DTs in 2022 and 60th at the position last year. But teams appear to disagree with this assessment.

A strong run in New York created a good Fatukasi market in 2022. PFF graded the former sixth-round pick as a top-15 interior D-lineman in 2019 and ’20, making him one of the brightest spots during the grim Adam Gase Jets tenure. Viewed as an elite run defender at that point, Fatukasi is now trying to bounce back after the Jags stripped away some of their 2022 free agency pickups.

The Texans have an interesting opportunity, with not much in the way of funds tied up anywhere but along the offensive line and now at tight end — via Dalton Schultz‘s $12MM-per-year deal. DeMeco Ryans‘ defense ranked sixth against the run last season, and while the team has Maliek Collins signed for 2024, it lost pass-rushing DT Sheldon Rankins. The Bills have a bigger need here, with their Ed Oliver supporting cast almost entirely bound for free agency. DTs DaQuan Jones, Tim Settle, Jordan Phillips and Poona Ford are out of contract. The Bills, who were without Jones for much of the season, ranked 15th against the run last year.

Jaguars To Release DT Folorunso Fatukasi

March 4th, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

Folorunso Fatukasi was a key part of the Jaguars’ defensive rebuilding efforts in 2022. His time with the team has come to an end, however.

The veteran defensive tackle is being released, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. One year remained on Fatukasi’s pact, and this move will create $3.52MM in cap space; Jacksonville will incur a dead money charge of $9.27MM. He was set to count $12.79MM against the cap in 2024.

Fatukasi began his career with the Jets, and he took on a larger workload with each passing season. After establishing himself as a stout run defender, the former sixth-rounder landed a three-year, $30MM deal with the Jaguars. That pact was restructured last offseason, though, and none of his $7MM base salary for 2024 was guaranteed. Now, the team will move on with other offseason priorities to attend to.

Chief among those is a new deal for edge rusher Josh Allen. The two-time Pro Bowler will not reach the open market, and an agreement keeping wideout Calvin Ridley in place is also in the team’s plans. New contracts in both players’ cases will be costly, especially since the latter will likely be allowed to test free agency given the conditions of his trade acquisition from the Falcons. Creating funds for those efforts and others has included moving on from Fatukasi after a pair of seasons.

The 29-year-old started 29 of his 30 regular season games with Jacksonville, but he was unable to develop into a difference-maker with respect to interior pass-rush production. Fatukasi totaled 1.5 sacks and nine QB pressures during his time with the Jaguars, recording 48 tackles along the way. For the second time in his career, he will reach the open market, although he will be able to sign a deal with an interested team before the start of free agency next week. Given the nature of his time in Duval County, however, it would be a surprise if he were targeted as a priority by interested teams.

NFL Restructures: Okwara, Allen, Fatukasi

March 26th, 2023 at 6:58pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are a few details on recent contract restructures around the league:

Lions edge rusher Romeo Okwara came to an agreement to restructure his contract at the beginning of the week. According to Field Yates of ESPN, the renegotiated contract reduces his cap hit in 2023 from $14.5MM to $5.65MM.
After center Brian Allen reportedly agreed to a renegotiated deal, the Rams benefitted from a bit of cap relief. According to Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com, Allen’s restructured contract saved approximately $3.2MM in cap space for Los Angeles.
The Jaguars were able to reach an agreement on a restructured contract with defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi recently. The team converted $7.38MM of Fatukasi’s base salary into a signing bonus and added three void years. The moves resulted in about $5.9MM of additional cap space in 2023.

Bengals Make Three Waiver Claims

September 2nd, 2022 at 9:55am CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 2: To no surprise, the Bengals are indeed re-signing Allen, Thomas and Williams now that they have the open roster spots to do so, per a team announcement. Cincinnati is also placing safety Tycen Anderson and tackle Isaiah Prince on IR.

AUGUST 31: The Bengals have made some notable additions in the aftermath of yesterday’s roster cutdowns. Per the waiver wire, they have claimed tight end Devin Asiasi, guard Max Scharping and defensive tackle Jay Tufele.

Asiasi came to New England with significant expectations, given his draft status and the organization’s success at the position. The third-rounder made just 10 appearances in his first two seasons, though, recording only a pair of receptions. The Patriots made a substantial free agent investment in Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith last offseason, limiting his future with the team. In Cincinnati, he will face steep competition for playing time from Hayden Hurst and, in all likelihood, O.J. Howard.

Scharping is in a similar situation to Asiasi in terms of being an underwhelming high draft choice yet to finish their rookie contract. A 2019 second-rounder, the 26-year-old started 33 of the 48 contests he appeared in with the Texans, moving from the left to right guard spot this past season. Regardless of where he lined up, the Northern Illinois alum graded out in the mid-to-high 50s with respect to PFF rating, leaving him on the roster bubble. Scharping’s vacated spot is likely to be filled by A.J. Cann; he will challenge for a backup role behind top free agent addition Alex Cappa with the Bengals.

Tufele, meanwhile, has seen the least playing time of the new trio. As a rookie last season, he made just four appearances in Jacksonville, totaling two tackles. His PFF pass rush grade of 77 indicates some upside on third downs, which dates back to his time in college. Moving on from the USC alum so soon may have come as a surprise, though the additions of Folorunso Fatukasi and Adam Gotsis along the d-line were likely to significantly lessen his chance of seeing significant playing time with the Jaguars. The Bengals lost Larry Ogunjobi in free agency, but re-upped B.J. Hill, whom Tufele will look to provide depth behind his new home.

The defending AFC champions will return many of the members of last season’s team, but these additions could prove effective at areas of relative need. Among the cuts necessary to accommodate the new arrivals is veteran quarterback Brandon Allen. The 29-year-old signed a one-year deal for the third consecutive offseason to remain in Cincinnati.

For now, Allen’s departure leaves the Bengals with only Joe Burrow under center. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo tweets, however, that Allen “will be back.” Cincinnati is also parting ways with safety Michael Thomas and running back Trayveon Williams.

Jaguars To Sign Folorunso Fatukasi

March 14th, 2022 at 1:09pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars have agreed to sign Folorunso Fatukasi (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Peter Schrager). Once finalized, it’ll be a three-year, $30MM deal with $20MM fully guaranteed.

The run-stuffing defensive tackle had a lot going for him heading into this week. The four-year veteran started 15 games in 2021, after combining for just eight starts across his first three seasons. The Jets were already bracing for this, knowing that the former sixth-round pick would be out of their price range.

The Jets have deployed below-average defenses over the last two seasons, but Fatukasi has played well on an individual level. The UConn product, who just recently turned 27, should offer the Jags multiple prime seasons on this deal. The Jets, meanwhile, will look to add another piece to join Quinnen Williams (under contract through 2023) and Sheldon Rankins, who will see $1.25MM of his $4.5MM base salary become guaranteed on March 20, the fifth day of the 2022 league year.