It doesn’t look like Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue’s holdout is coming to an end anytime soon.
Ngakoue held out of mandatory minicamp in order to get a new contract, but Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union suggests that a deal is not close. Not only could the saga drag on into training camp, but it could even spill into the regular season.
At that point, Ngakoue would miss out on game checks on top of the fines he’s already accrued for missing OTAs.
Ngakoue is heading into the fourth and final year of his rookie contract and is set to make a salary of $2.025 million this season. That’s a bargain for a pass rusher of his caliber, one who has produced nearly 10 sacks per season in his first three years in the league.
However, the Jaguars don’t appear to be in a rush to hand Ngakoue a new deal since they can keep him on with the franchise tag next year.
The Jaguars defense will already be without star linebacker Telvin Smith, who has decided to step away this upcoming season to focus on personal issues. And losing Ngakoue would further hurt that impressive unit.
Considering how relatively little money Ngakoue has gotten in his career, it will be difficult to envision him keeping up his holdout to the point where he loses some significant money once the season starts.
But perhaps Ngakoue is fully committed to sticking to his guns and staying away until he gets his deal — no matter the cost.
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