On Friday afternoon, the Jacksonville Jaguars formally placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on fifth-year defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, the team announced. Ngakoue's rookie contract expired following the 2019 season, and the two have yet to reach an extension. If the tag had not been placed on Ngakoue by Monday evening, he would've become an unrestricted free agent.
If Ngakoue was to play on the franchise tag, the Jaguars would pay the 2017 Pro Bowl selection $19.3 million for the 2020 season. Following the Jaguars' 2019 season finale victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Ngakoue had said he was not interested in playing under the franchise tag. Moreover, Ngakoue posted on Twitter that he had informed the Jaguars of his desire to move on from Jacksonville.
That would mean the most likely move at this point would be a "tag-and-trade." That would also mean Ngakoue finds a suitor willing to pay him the top-of-the-line money he and his team are seeking. The Jaguars would then have the right to match the offer; if they did not match the offer, they would receive two first-round draft selections from the team that signed Ngakoue.
If Ngakoue was to sign the tag, he wouldn't necessarily be bound to the aforementioned, $19.3 million: the Jaguars and Ngakoue's team would have until July to reach a new deal.
The Jaguars' third-round selection in their heralded, 2016 NFL Draft, Ngakoue has registered 122 tackles and 37.5 sacks in four seasons. He has missed all but one game in his four-year career.