Getty Image / Douglas P DeFelice
No team rehabilitated their image like the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2022 NFL season.
Their previous season, which featured the disastrous Urban Meyer hire, was so awful that fans were wearing clown suits at their last home game.
This season, they won the AFC South, earning themselves a spot in the playoffs and even managed to earn a win in the playoffs.
That big turnaround for the franchise has also helped change the narrative on some current members of the team.
Christian Kirk put together a strong season after the Jaguars were ridiculed for giving him a contract worth $18 million a year.
Trevor Lawrence bounced back from a disappointing rookie season to prove that the hype he entered the league with was valid.
Perhaps the biggest beneficiary was Evan Engram.
At this time last year, New York Giants fans were all too happy to see Engram leave after issues with drops led to him not living up to the expectations that came with him being picked 23rd overall.
He ended up signing a 1-year “prove it” deal with the Jaguars and that appears to have paid off for him.
Today, Adam Schefter reported that the Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to franchise tag Engram this offseason.
Jaguars are expected to place the franchise tag on TE Evan Engram, per source. The tight end franchise tag is $11.345 million.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 2, 2023
The Jaguars wanting to hold onto Engram won’t be a surprise to anybody. He was a huge part of the team’s success late in the season. He racked up 380 yards over the team’s last 5 games, including a pair of 100-yard performances.
In their playoff win over the Chargers, he racked up 7 catches for 93 yards and a touchdown.
There have also previously been reports about contract negotiations going well between Engram and the Jaguars, so there is still a chance that he gets a long-term deal before the start of the season.
It looks like Evan Engram has made the most of that “prove it” deal he signed a year ago.