The Jacksonville Jaguars have agreed to accommodate defensive end Yannick Ngakoue’s wish by trading him to the Minnesota Vikings for a second and conditional fifth-round pick that could go as high as a third-round pick, according to reports.
Ngakoue, 25, will still have to sign his $17.8 million franchise tender before he can be traded. He will have to play under the terms of the franchise tender this season before the Vikings will be able to extend him a new contract offer in 2021.
ESPN was the first to report Ngakoue’s tentative trade agreement Sunday morning.
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Under the terms of the trade, the conditional fifth-round pick the Jaguars would acquire could become a fourth-round pick if Ngakoue is a Pro Bowl selection this season. If Ngakoue is both a Pro Bowl selection and the Vikings win the Super Bowl then the Jaguars would receive a third-round instead.
Ngakoue has been at odds with the Jaguars since last season after an 11-day holdout from training camp didn’t result in a new contract. He has demanded a trade since March and refused to sign the team’s franchise tender.
In April, Ngakoue got into an ugly Twitter battle with Tony Khan, owner Shad Khan’s son who is the Jaguars senior vice president of football administration and technology,
A third-round pick in 2016 out of Maryland, Ngakoue’s total of 37.5 career sacks in four seasons is the most by a Jaguars player after 63 career games. Ngakoue has not had fewer than eight sacks in a season since his arrival in Jacksonville. He has forced 14 fumbles and has combined for 121 tackles.
Coach Doug Marrone said on Aug. 20 that he wants what’s best for Ngakoue and acknowledged that trade speculation would likely continue for the remainder of training camp.
”He’s done everything that I ever asked him to do,” Marrone said. ”I think he is an excellent football player but now it goes back to the business end. At the end of the day, I hope everybody gets what they want. For me, I just want the player to be happy and then we’ll just see where it goes.”
Jaguars coach Dave Caldwell said that he had been in contact with Ngakoue but didn’t expand on much other than to say Ngakoue deserves the right to explore options other than playing for the Jags.
Ngakoue fired his Ngakoue fired his agent, Ari Nissim, on Aug.10.
With the trade agreement, Ngakoue becomes the sixth defensive player from the 2017 team who was a Pro Bowl selection and now no longer with the Jaguars. The Jaguars traded cornerback A.J. Bouye to the Denver Broncos and defensive end Calais Campbell to the Baltimore Ravens in March.
Cornerback Jalen Ramsey forced his way out of Jacksonville last October that resulted in the Jaguars trading him to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for two first-round picks.
Linebacker Telvin Smith abruptly retired May 2019 and defensive tackle Malik Jackson was released in March 2019 after three seasons with the Jaguars to save $11 million in cap space. Jackson is in his second season with the Philadelphia Eagles.