Folorunso

Fatukasi

Fatukasi initially joined the Texans last offseason on a one-year contract. The 30-year-old was a rotational defensive lineman, tallying four tackles for loss and one sack. He returns to Houston for 2025, where he will be a part of a deep Texans front seven.

Fatukasi had just been reactivated to play this week. It will be a hit to Houston’s run-stopping if Fatukasi is out again, but they have plenty of interesting depth pieces along the defensive line.

The Jaguars made Fatukasi a cap casualty last week, clearing $3.5 million in space with his release. The veteran lineman totaled 24 tackles and three TFLs in 16 games for the Jaguars last season and has started 44 games over the last three years. Fatukasi earned a 61.0 defensive grade on PFF last year and should provide valuable depth for the Texans along the defensive front.

The release of Fatukasi — which came on his birthday — frees up $3.5 million in cap space for the Jaguars. Fatukasi is a six-year vet of the league and has spent the last two seasons with the Jaguars, totaling 48 tackles and 1.5 sacks over 30 games. Fatukasi has started 44 of the last 45 games he’s appeared in, dating back to his final season with the Jets. At 29 years old, Fatukasi should have a strong market as teams look to add veteran contributors along the defensive front.

Jacksonville converted $7.4 million in base salary into a signing bonus, clearing $5.9 million in 2023 cap space. The Jaguars added three void years to the deal to help spread out the cap hits on Fatukasi, who was due $12.7 million. The restructure puts Jacksonville at $10 million under the cap.

The big-dollar free agent addition was announced as questionable in the second half but never returned. “Quad” can mean any number of things. An MRI is likely incoming.

The deal includes $20 million in guarantees. Fatukasi played a career-high in snaps while starting all 15 games he was active in last year. He recorded five TFLs and 46 combined tackles. Fatukasi gives the Jags, who allowed 125 rushing yards per game last year, a solid run-stuffer for the interior of their line. Fatukasi will see the bulk of his snaps on early downs and obvious running situations as he has never recorded more than two sacks in a season.

The key run stopper ended up spending only five days on the reserve list.

Even if he’s merely a “close contact,” Fatukasi does not have enough time to get cleared for Sunday’s game against the Rams. It’s a not inconsequential loss for the Jets’ collapsed defense, as Fatukasi plays 50ish snaps per game and is having a strong year against the run. As if Cam Akers’ Week 15 light could get any greener.

Fatukasi (6’4/318), whose full first name is “Folorunso,” was a three-year starter and four-year contributor on the Huskies’ defensive line, tallying 19 career tackles for loss with 14 sacks and four forced fumbles. A high-end athlete with 70th-percentile SPARQ results, Fatukasi wins with powerful size, long arms (34 1/8"), and plus movement ability, and has a chance to develop into a three-down interior space eater. Initially, Fatukasi would likely be best utilized in an early-down, run-stopping rotational role.