Jacksonville Jaguars held their ground in not wanting to give defensive end Yannick Ngakoue a new deal, and it seems like they have won (at least for now). Ngakoue decided to end his holdout on Sunday and join the Jags’ training camp without a new deal.
Ngakoue decided to skip Jacksonville’s mandatory minicamp in June and sit out the start of the training camp in order to leverage a contract extension from the Jags. The two sides, however, didn’t manage to come to an agreement although Jaguars offered the player a short term deal worth $19 million annually.
The 24-year-old is entering the final year of his rookie deal, which will pay him around $2 million in 2019.
“At the end of the day, they had a chance to sign me for a long-term deal but it didn’t get done so it is what it is,” – Ngakoue told reporters Sunday via NFL Network. “I’m just here like I said. I love football. I love my teammates and I’m here to play games.”
Since entering the league as a third-round pick in 2017, Yannick Ngakoue recorded 80 tackles, 29.5 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, and one interception. He also has a Pro Bowl appearance to his name.
