Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Yannick Ngakoue is entering the final year of his contract, but with pass rushers all around the league landing big deals, he knows his time is coming:
“That [the amount those players received] is not a secret,” Ngakoue said, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. “We all can go on the computer. We see what they’re getting, you know what I mean? At the end of the day, it’s a blessing to be in that position and I’m thankful. That money don’t mean nothing, but I know what I’m worth.”
And he's worth quite a bit.
Ngakoue is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he totaled 28 tackles and 9.5 sacks, one year after he racked up 30 tackles, 12 sacks, six forced fumbles, a couple of fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.
So, the 24-year-old could have held out of organized team activities, but that's not his style:
“I don’t have to be here, but I chose to be here,” Ngakoue said. “It just shows you how much I love the game and it’s why I want to be out here to help some guys out. I love the game and I try to go hard every day 100 percent, and that’s what I intend on doing. Just coming out here trying to get better each and every day, helping out my teammates, trying to be a captain this year.”
Ngakoue, who played his collegiate football at the University of Maryland, was originally selected by the Jaguars in the third round (69th pick overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
He is scheduled to make $2.025 million in 2019.
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