Yannick Ngakoue was finally granted his wish to be traded from the Jacksonville Jaguars as he was acquired by the Minnesota Vikings. To prove how bad he wanted out of Jacksonville, Ngakoue reportedly agreed to take a pay cut to facilitate his deal to the Vikings.

Not long after the 2019 season concluded, Ngakoue expressed that his time with the Jaguars was over. The Pro Bowl defensive end shared that he had no interest in signing a long-term deal with Jacksonville.

Nevertheless, instead of letting him test free agency, the Jaguars placed their franchise tag on Yannick Ngakoue. Seeing that he didn’t want to play in Jacksonville anymore, he quickly requested a trade despite being tagged. 

While he’s waited for a team to swoop in and trade for him, Ngakoue hasn’t signed his franchise tender yet. As a defensive end, Ngakoue was set to make $17.7 million in 2020. But with Minnesota needing room to fit him under their salary cap, Ngakoue is reportedly willing to make around $13.5 million this season.

Within the trade, the Vikings surrendered a second and a conditional fifth-round pick for Yannick Ngakoue. The fifth-round pick involved in the trade can turn into a fourth-rounder if Ngakoue makes the Pro Bowl. Furthermore, it could also become a third-round selection if Minnesota wins the Super Bowl in 2020.

It was evident that Ngakoue was never going to play another down for the Jaguars. With that being said, given the fact he’s willing to take a significant pay cut to join the Vikings, it goes to show how bad he wanted out of Jacksonville.