Jaguars’ TE Evan Engram: ‘The Interest Is There on Both Sides for Me To Come Back’
Evan Engram wants to be back in Jacksonville, that much is certain.
Speaking with SiriusXM NFL Radio this week, Engram made it clear that both he and the Jaguars envision a reunion in 2023. Engram is set to be a free agent on March 15 after signing a one-year deal last March, but each side has publically made it clear they want him to be retained.
"So hopefully something gets done and, and I think, you know, it's mutual over there. Haven't had too many conversations yet. But the interest is there on both sides for me to come back," Engram said.
"And obviously, I would love to come back as well. But like you said, it's a business. Man, I definitely felt like you know, I put a lot of great things on film, I had a lot of great results this year, and I was a big part of helping my team win. So when you do that, at the pass catcher position, we have a lot of highlight plays, and you know, you do something special with the football, you know, those guys get taken care of financially-wise."
Engram had a career year in 2022 as he caught 73 passes for 766 yards and four touchdowns, along with 12 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown in two playoff games.
Engram not only finished fourth among all tight ends in receiving yards, but he set a franchise record for receptions and receiving yards by a tight end in a single season.
"Last year I was definitely more bouncing off the walls, trying to find out everything and trying to get every bit of piece of information and was a little bit stressing myself out. So this year, I'm definitely kicking back, letting everything kind of play out," Engram said.
"I have a great team in my corner, my agent Mike McCartney, and with Vayner Sports, they're a great group. And I'm really excited for them to get to work for me and the conversations we had are very promising. He has a great relationship with the Jags."
After betting on himself in 2022, Engram has set himself up to receive a big payday from the Jaguars. According to sources with knowledge of the situation, all expectations are for the Jaguars and Engram to agree to a multi-year extension this offseason, keeping him in Jacksonville for the next several seasons while also compensating him for his production and value off the field.
"So that's something that's been a big goal of mine my entire career, and now we're here and so I definitely got a lot of faith in God too, for him to just kind of, you know, take everything and, you know, put it on the way that he wants it for me and you know, not the way I want it for myself," Engram said.
"So I'm really at peace with everything. And definitely, you know, what will happen is supposed to happen."
