Jaguars use franchise tag on TE Evan Engram

The Jacksonville Jaguars used the franchise tag to retain tight end Evan Engram, the team announced Monday.

Lord knows how excited my family and I are to be staying in Jax! Hopefully we can get a long term deal done soon

— Evan Engram (@eazyengram) March 6, 2023

A report last week at the start of the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine indicated the tag was expected to be used on Engram. With the Tuesday deadline for the franchise tag just a day away, there were rumblings over the weekend that the team could reverse course and use it to retain offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor.

The Jaguars have been unable to reach an agreement on a new contract with either of those players since the end of the season in January.

With Engram now set to return to Jacksonville for the 2023 season, it appears even more likely that Taylor will reach the free agency market.

Engram, 28, is due to make $11,345,000 on the franchise tag; however, both he and the Jaguars appear in favor of working out a long-term contract extension during the offseason.

“I think that would be a placeholder to get something, that’s kind of how I feel about it,” Engram said in February of the possibility of getting tagged. “We’ll figure out something long-term that both sides can be happy with

The two sides will now have until July 15 to reach a deal.

In his first season with the Jaguars, Engram caught 73 passes for 766 yards — both career bests and single-season franchise records. In two playoff games, he added another 12 receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown.