Yannick Ngakoue, Jaguars Fail to Agree to New Contract Amid Trade Rumors

The Jacksonville Jaguars and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue did not agree to a long-term contract prior to the league-imposed Wednesday deadline, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Jags placed the franchise tag on Ngakoue, meaning that the two sides had to come to an agreement on a long-term deal prior to 4 p.m. ET for the contract to kick in this season.

Because the deadline came and went without an agreement, Ngakoue would have to play this year out on the tag before becoming a free agent next offseason.

Schefter provided an update:

Ngakoue, 25, has amassed 37.5 sacks and 85 quarterback hits during his four-year career with Jacksonville.

ESPN's Field Yates posted more of the star's accolades since his 2016 rookie year:

The one-time Pro Bowler played an integral role on the fierce 2017 Jags defense, which allowed the second-fewest points per game and earned the moniker "Sacksonville" after racking up 55 sacks on the year.

Ngakoue has a penchant for making plays, as shown by his league-leading six forced fumbles in 2017. He's also turned an interception and fumble recovery into touchdowns.

The Jags have fallen on hard times since that 2017 season, which saw the team nearly upset the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. But Ngakoue should be part of the solution for the Jags in their attempt to return to the playoffs given his pass-rushing production at a young age.

Jacksonville initially gave the former Maryland star the non-exclusive franchise tag. Per Over the Cap, Ngakoue's base salary would be slated for $18,055,000.

The edge-rusher clearly indicated his desire to move on, though, as evidenced by this March 2 tweet:

Ngakoue also got into a Twitter spat on April 20 with Jags senior vice president Tony Khan (the son of owner Shad Khan), reiterating once again his desire for a deal. 

The saga continues into the back end of July with the deadline now passed and Ngakoue's immediate future unknown at this point.