Bears Sign Yannick Ngakoue to One-Year Deal
Chicago, Illinois (PSF)- The Chicago Bears and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue have agreed to a one-year, $10.5 million contract. This contract includes $10 million guaranteed for Ngakoue. The Bears needed a move like this, their biggest weakness on defense was the defensive line. Ngakoue is now playing for his sixth team while only being 28 years old. His first four seasons in the NFL were spent in Jacksonville, he earned one Pro Bowl nod in 2017. Since moving on from the Jaguars in 2020, he has played for the Vikings, Ravens, and Raiders, and was last traded from Vegas to the Colts. The Colts decided to let Ngakoue test free agency, some saw this as a shock due to Ngakoue having 9.5 sacks in 2022.
Photo by: Justin Casterline/Getty Images
Personally, I’m shocked Ngakoue didn’t receive an offer sooner. He is only 28 years old, he produced solid stats last season, and in every season since 2016, he has never played less than 15 games per year. A few teams that could have used the defensive end this year were the Panthers, Ravens, and Chiefs. All of these teams needed help on the edge. Seeing him on the Chiefs especially would have been fun to see.
Ngakoue’s presence will be felt in Chicago immediately. Another interesting stat, he has never had fewer than eight sacks in a season. Chicago has to feel good knowing they are getting a player that will at least get a little under ten sacks per year. Looking back at the 2022 defense, you can see why the Bears made the move. The Bears only totaled 20 sacks last season, the player with the highest amount was Jaqoun Brisker who is the team’s safety. If the player with the most sacks is your safety, you have a serious issue. It is almost impossible to have an elite defense that doesn’t have a good pass rush. You cannot allow a quarterback to have time to throw, the modern-day NFL corner can only do so much to contain these receivers. Chicago still has plenty more to add to this defensive line, but getting Ngakoue was a good start.
