Report: Franchise-tagged TE Evan Engram agrees to contract extension with Jaguars
Engram's deal means there are three franchise tag players who have not agreed to contract extensions ahead of Monday's deadline
Evan Engram won’t be playing the 2023 season on the franchise tag.
According to ESPN, the Jacksonville Jaguars tight end has agreed to a three-year contract with $24 million guaranteed. The Jaguars franchised Engram after he had a career-high 73 catches for 766 yards in 2022.
Compensation update: Jaguars’ franchise TE Evan Engram is signing a three-year, $41.25 million deal that includes $24 million fully guaranteed, per source. https://t.co/5jnqpT0qYx
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 16, 2023
Engram came to Jacksonville after spending the first five seasons of his career with the New York Giants. He had just 56 catches for 408 yards and three scores in 2021 and hit the free-agent market after the expiration of his rookie deal.
Engram signed a one-year deal with the Jaguars that included over $8 million guaranteed ahead of the 2022 season as part of the Jaguars’ free-agent spending frenzy. Moves like signing Engram and wide receiver Christian Kirk bolstered the team’s receiving corps as the Jaguars won the AFC South and then had an incredible comeback win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round.
Three players left on the franchise tag ahead of Monday deadline
Had the Jaguars not reached a multi-year deal with Engram and he played the 2023 season under the tag, his franchise tender would have been worth $11.35 million. The three-year deal likely lowers Engram’s 2023 salary cap number and also means there are just three players remaining in the NFL who have been tagged and haven’t reached long-term agreements with their teams.
Las Vegas Raiders RB Josh Jacobs, New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley and Dallas Cowboys RB Tony Pollard were all tagged by their respective teams and have yet to agree to multi-year deals with their teams ahead of Monday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline.
Barring extensive progress in negotiations, it appears that both Barkley and Jacobs are not close to signing contract extensions. Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson reported Friday that both players were ready to sit out parts of training camp unless they received long-term extensions.
If the running backs don’t reach deals with their teams, they’d be set to play the 2023 season for just over $10 million.
Engram is the third player to sign an extension after being given the franchise tag. The Baltimore Ravens tagged QB Lamar Jackson before reaching a contract extension with $185 million guaranteed. Washington Commanders DT Daron Payne was also tagged and signed a four-year deal worth nearly $60 million guaranteed.
