Unfortunately, the top player of the Jacksonville Jaguars officially decided to terminate his contract due to…
After tweeting on Sunday night that he and his agent, Mike McCartney, had reached a deal, Engram uploaded a photo of himself at Everbank Field with the words “I’m home” and an emoji of praying hands.
The teams outlasted the franchise-tagged players’ deadline of Monday afternoon to sign long-term contracts.
Under the franchise tag, Engram was guaranteed a one-year contract worth $11.345 million this season, but both he and the team had made it clear that they preferred a long-term agreement. Engram will now play a significant role in Jacksonville’s efforts to win the AFC South again this season and in the future.
He now ranks sixth at the position, behind Darren Waller, George Kittle, Travis Kelce, Dallas Goedert, and Mark Andrew, with an average salary of $13.75 million.
Engram was selected by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, so his return wasn’t really in doubt after he caught 73 passes for 766 yards and four touchdowns last season, both career highs.
Engram and quarterback Trevor Lawrence clicked right away, and he also grew close to receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones. With former Atlanta receiver Calvin Ridley joining the group, the Jaguars have even higher expectations for this core group in their second season together.
In 2022, Engram agreed to a $9 million, one-year contract with the Jaguars. Engram took less money in the hopes of earning a larger salary because he thought he would thrive with a fresh start away from New York’s harsh and obvious spotlight. General Manager Trent Baalke wanted a longer deal.
For a gifted player whose five seasons with the Giants were cut short by injuries, it proved to be a wise gamble.
He played in every game for the first time in his professional career in his rookie season in Jacksonville, finished with just four interceptions, and didn’t fumble.
