Yannick Ngakoue, Jalen Ramsey Back Each Other Up in Disputes with Jaguars

Last fall, cornerback Jalen Ramsey's public and volatile divorce from the Jacksonville Jaguars became one of the most drama-filled, emotionally charged disputes between a player and team in recent memory.

Now, the same could potentially be said of the team's relationship with defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, and it is clear the 25-year old pass-rushing star is on the same page as his former teammate, who the Jaguars traded to the Los Angeles Rams last October for two first-round picks and a fourth-round selection in 2021.

"@JalenRamsey was never crazy. He knew the truth," Ngakoue said on Instagram on Tuesday.

Ramsey requested a trade from the Jaguars following Week 2 last season, and then went down the road of sitting out several games with a back injury, only playing one more game for the Jaguars (in Week 3). Ramsey made weekly appearances on podcasts and made it clear on social media that he saw no future with the Jaguars and hoped to be traded, and Ngakoue has taken a similar path in recent weeks as he and the Jaguars have failed to come to terms on a contract extension.

"Some people don't want to accept the truth tho," Ramsey replied to Ngakoue. "It's all love from 2.0 to Duval tho. Just had to do what was best for myself short and longterm."

Ramsey and Yan on IG about #Jaguars. pic.twitter.com/iefeLIpFNZ
— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) March 31, 2020

Ngakoue made another plea for an exit from Jacksonville earlier on Tuesday when he replied to a report about potential trades for him involving the Jaguars placing a high value on him.

"Let’s agree to disagree. Why hold a man from taking care of his family. It’s obvious my time is up in my current situation. Let’s both move on @Jaguars," Ngakoue tweeted.

Ngakoue has been seeking a long-term contract since last summer, but it is evident talks between his camp and the Jaguars have continued to fall apart to the point where the bridge looks to be burned.

The Jaguars engaged in talks with Ngakoue for a contract extension before the 2019 season began, but talks quickly fell apart and Ngakoue held out of training camp for a short period. Ngakoue then played out the final year of his rookie contract, while often leaving reminders that the Jaguars had a chance to pay him.

Earlier in March, the Jaguars designated Ngakoue with the franchise tender, which will pay him $17,788,000 million in 2020. But before then, the former third-round selection made it clear he didn't see a future in Jacksonville.

"The Jaguars are aware I no longer have interest in signing a long term contract in Jacksonville," Ngakoue tweeted in early March. "Duval, I love you and gave you guys everything I got. I’m thankful for the journey and look forward to continuing my career elsewhere."

Ngakoue opting to pair with Ramsey to take a public stand against the Jaguars is another sign of the defensive end's frustrations and discontent with the organization, and yet another piece of evidence to suggest he likely won't be on the Jaguars' roster one way or another in 2020.

Ngakoue has 37.5 sacks in his career (second-most in Jaguars' history), 42 tackles for loss, and 14 forced fumbles. Ngakoue recorded eight sacks and four forced fumbles for the Jaguars in 2019. His best season came in 2017, where he recorded a career-high 12 sacks and six forced fumbles and was named to his first Pro Bowl.

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