One of the best pass rushers in the game is staying put in Duval for the time being.
The Jaguars have franchise tagged pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source. The team later announced the news. It was an expected designation, Rapoport added, but now it's official.
Coming in originally as the No. 6 NFL.com free agent ahead of getting tagged, Ngakoue is a few weeks shy of 25 and might well still have his prime pass-rushing days in front of him.
He's made an impact since his 2016 rookie season after he was drafted in the third round, but he truly broke out in his sophomore campaign with Jacksonville as he led the NFL with six forced fumbles -- many on blindside hits which are very much his calling card -- to go along with 12 sacks.
Last year, he had a career-best 41 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, eight sacks, six passes defended and four forced fumbles.
A wreaker of havoc, Ngakoue's future is seemingly still in doubt.
While the Jaguars no doubt want his talents in the starting lineup, he tweeted out on March 2 that "I no longer have interest in signing a long-term contract in Jacksonville."
The Jaguars have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal with Ngakoue, but for now, the franchise tag will do.
