Monday morning, star pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue announced that he has no intentions of signing a new contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars via social media.
The news comes as no surprise, as the 24 year-old former Pro Bowler has been hinting at wanting a change of scenery through his Twitter and Instagram accounts for weeks now. Having grown agitated by the lack of urgency the Jaguars showed in re-signing him, Ngakoue thanked Jaguars fans for their support throughout the start of his career, but didn’t shy away from the fact he is eagerly anticipating a new beginning elsewhere.
The Jaguars are aware I no longer have interest in signing a long term contract in Jacksonville. Duval, I love you and gave you guys everything I got. I’m thankful for the journey and look forward to continuing my career elsewhere. -91
— Yannick Ngakoue (@YannickNgakoue) March 2, 2020
Ngakoue was drafted by the Jags in 2016 in the third-round (No. 69 overall). Alongside cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack, who were taken in the rounds before him, the trio made for general manager Dave Caldwell’s best draft class. However, only Jack and Ngakoue remain on the team and that number could decrease soon.
Heading into this offseason Caldwell said he would make signing Ngakoue his top priority, however, it’s unknown if the two parties had began contract talks afterward. Owner Shad Khan also said he spoke with Ngakoue after the season and expressed his willingness to keep the young pass rusher.
Throughout his four years in Jacksonville Ngakoue was able to garner a career total of 122 tackles, 37.5 sacks (good for second in franchise history), and 14 forced fumbles. His Pro Bowl season came in 2017, after he put up a career-high of 12 sacks and six forced fumbles.