A year ago, Evan Engram took a leap of faith by joining the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency on a one-year contract. The Jaguars had just finished 3-14 and earned the top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but they also made a significant head coaching change, going from Urban Meyer to Doug Pederson.
Both the coaching move and the signing of Engram proved to be wise moves, as the Jags managed to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017. For Engram, he posted arguably the best season of his six-year career.
- Evan Engram stats last season: 73 receptions, 766 receiving yards, 4 TD catches
Now Engram is once again headed for free agency, but this time his pay rate is expected to be higher than the one-year, prove-it deal he signed last season for $9 million. Not only did Engram finish a full season, playing every game for just the second time in his career, he was Trevor Lawrence‘s third-most frequent target.
As you can imagine, the Jaguars don’t want to let the 28-year-old speedy pass-catcher leave as a free agent. Instead, according to Mia O’Brien, the Jaguars plan to either place the franchise tag or agree to a contract extension with Engram this offseason. Either way, she says Engram’s return to the Jaguars will “get done.”
The franchise tag for tight ends amounts to $11.35 million in 2023, which is just over two million more than Engram earned a season ago but would seem like a reasonable rate to bring him back for another season. Yet, the Jaguars would probably prefer a long-term extension for more roster stability.
Either way, teams hoping to snag the versatile weapon away from the Jaguars may have to look elsewhere this offseason.
Related: Bold predictions for 2023 NFL free agency: Destinations for more than 50 top players