There's hate, and then there's what Yannick Ngakoue feels toward the Jacksonville Jaguars, which is clearly a new level of disdain that probably doesn't have a definition in Webster's dictionary yet. The Pro Bowl defensive end went to war with the Jaguars this offseason, refusing to sign his franchise tag and essentially promising he'd never take another snap for the team that selected him in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Instead, Ngakoue demanded a trade, and the Jaguars finally caved in late August -- reportedly trading him to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a 2021 second-round pick and a conditional 2022 fifth-round pick.
Ngakoue must now sign his franchise tender to complete the trade, but this is where his loathing of the Jaguars gets put on center stage.
Because he failed to sign his tag by the NFL deadline of July 15, he must now play under it before he can sign a longterm deal with the Vikings, which is set to pay him $17.8 million in 2020. The problem is, the Vikings can't afford that, and so Ngakoue will reportedly restructure his 2020 payout to fit in the range of $13.5 million -- per Pro Football Talk -- to help the Vikings financially absorb the trade. If his restructured payout does in fact land around $13.5 million, he will suffer a loss of roughly $4 million, although that number will be increased by the fact Florida has no state tax while Minnesota does.
Additionally, while Ngakoue is undoubtedly pleased with his destination being the Vikings, a move that pairs him with Danielle Hunter and Co., he was so determined to get out of Jacksonville that he reportedly would've accepted a pay cut from at least one other unspecified team, also noted by PFT; assuming said team would've met the Jaguars trade price. And then there's the initial aforementioned threat itself, wherein Ngakoue vowed he'd sit out this season if the Jaguars failed to trade him -- which would've left the entire $17.8 million on the table and placed him back in free agency in 2021.
The exodus of top talent from Jacksonville the last few seasons has been a sight to behold, with many of the exits having been by way of toxic divorce. At this rate, barring a massive about-face within the Jaguars culture, while Ngakoue is the latest to muscle his way out the door, he most likely won't be the last.
