Yannick Ngakoue ends holdout, reports to Jaguars camp

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Yannick Ngakoue's holdout is over. 

The Jaguars defensive end reported to training camp on Sunday morning, ending a holdout that had gone on much of the offseason as he angled for a new contract. 

Ngakoue, who has 29.5 sacks during his first three seasons in the NFL, will earn $2.025 million during the final season of his rookie contract. Ngakoue has no doubt outperformed his rookie deal and is in line for a massive pay raise. But he was fighting the clock in holding out for a new contract. 

Had Ngakoue continued to hold out and skipped much more of camp, he would have lost out on accruing a year toward free agency. Tuesday is the deadline for reporting and still earning that year time. Had Ngakoue not reported by Tuesday, he would have lost out on a year of service and forfeited his chance at becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2020. 

The NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that Ngakoue has turned down a short-term contract from the Jaguars worth $19 million per year. Ngakoue has accrued nearly $530,000 in fines during his holdout.