At 11:19 a.m. ET on Monday, the official Twitter account of the Jacksonville Jaguars wished a happy birthday to defensive lineman Folorunso “Foley” Fatukasi.
Happy birthday, 94! 🎉@FISGlobal | #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/P0SyWYuZJB
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) March 4, 2024
At 1:43 p.m., ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler broke the news that the Jaguars are releasing Fatukasi to clear some cap space.
The awkward timing isn’t really anyone’s fault. The Jaguars’ social media team isn’t privy to the moves general manager Trent Baalke is going to make or when he’s planning on making them. And Baalke definitely isn’t refreshing social media to find the most pain-free time to announce news.
Still, the brutal birthday present for Fatukasi didn’t go unnoticed by the Internet. Here’s a sampling of the reaction to the snafu:
Time stamp 😞 cold world we live in pic.twitter.com/fX0EUmLsqz
— Mia O'Brien (@MiaOBrienTV) March 4, 2024
Is it a bad look to wish a player happy birthday and then he gets cut that day? I guess but let’s not be so soft. It might be a worse look to get $10 million a year and not a produce for two seasons. 🤷♂️
— Brent Martineau (@BrentASJax) March 4, 2024
— Austen Lane (@A_Train_92) March 4, 2024
Cutting a guy on his birthday after you just posted him a happy birthday message hours prior is not a good look… Just throwing that out there
— Hacker (@RyanGreen1010XL) March 4, 2024
I am here to tell you that the Jags media team does not have optics on the front office decisions and the two things are unrelated. Have a great rest of your day!
— Jason Caruso (@JasonMCaruso) March 4, 2024
The Jaguars wished Foley Fatukasi a happy birthday this morning.
And then released him a couple hours later 😭#DUUUVAL | #NFL pic.twitter.com/NIpThjkDNI
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) March 4, 2024
When fatukasi told Trent balke it was his birthday… https://t.co/7VMSoJUnZF pic.twitter.com/yosblVpp0G
— Purdy (@PURDYpurrd) March 4, 2024
This is unprofessional as hell & they better not blame whoever was working their socials. Surely the front office knew well in advance they were cutting this guy on his birthday https://t.co/sSls6iS4o1
— Ryan (@ryanhide) March 4, 2024
Happy Birthday 🎁 🎉 Foley!!!!! pic.twitter.com/Y6QxBrsqy6
— SBD (@BallsInfinitum) March 4, 2024
They really wished Foley a happy birthday and then promptly released him. Cold world.
— Glenn Jones (@GJonesNYC) March 4, 2024
The Khans giving Foley his birthday present.
pic.twitter.com/Fv3sBgz892— Bill (@duvalbill) March 4, 2024
https://t.co/KhpaNqqnSP pic.twitter.com/0aeKsAuFEX
— DELFONIK (@djDELFONIK) March 4, 2024
That D- for Family is starting to add up https://t.co/dx0Rc5skbB
— GOLF TACOS FOOTBALL (@Golf_Tacos_Tim) March 4, 2024
