As expected, Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue has ended his holdout over a contract extension. Per Phillip Heilman of The Athletic, the fourth-year pass rusher arrived at TIAA Bank Field today and is ready to take the field once again.
Ngakoue had until Tuesday to report or he would’ve triggered a clause in his contract that would have make him a restricted free agent in 2020. It’s still possible both sides could work toward a deal as the young pass rusher will only become more expensive if the Jags wait.
The Jags brass reportedly exchanged at least one offer with Ngakoue and his camp that would’ve made him the fourth-highest paid pass rusher annually, but it was on a short-term basis and the exact amount of fully guaranteed money was unclear. Now, at least for the moment, he’ll continue to play on his rookie deal, which will pay him just over $2 million this season.
Ngakoue’s holdout reached a total of 11 days. That could result in him having to pay the organization $88,650 for skipping minicamp and $440,000 for the days he missed in training camp.
Since being drafted in 2016, Ngakoue 81 tackles and 29.5 sacks, and has been a key reason the Jags’ defense has flourished over the past two seasons. Regardless of whether he gets an extension or not, fans can bank on the fact that he’ll continue to improve as he’s one of the team’s hardest-working players and will have added motivation.
