Kofi Inkoom
Yannick Ngakoue’s first season with the Bears ended abruptly due to a broken ankle, and he hasn’t signed with any team yet after the draft. However, now that he’s recovered from his injury, there might be more interest in him.
In 2023, Ngakoue played as a regular starter for the Bears and managed to get four sacks before his season-ending injury. Although it was his first time posting less than eight sacks in a season, a recent video he shared via X(formerly twitter) shows that his ankle is healed.
It’ll be interesting to see if teams start to show more interest in him because of this.
The Bears acquired Montez Sweat last season and gave him a four-year, $98 million contract extension.
However, they still have room to improve their edge defense, and there’s speculation that Ngakoue could return to the team on a cheaper deal. Last year, he signed a one-year, $10.5 million contract, but his injury might affect his market value this time around.
Ngakoue has played for several teams in his eight-year career, including the Jaguars, Vikings, Ravens, Raiders, Colts, and Bears. While the Bears have Sweat as their main edge rusher, adding a veteran like Ngakoue could give them more depth. Ngakoue is best suited for a supporting role, particularly on third downs.
Chicago only drafted one edge player, Austin Booker, in the fifth round. Booker didn’t see much playtime in his first two college seasons but had eight sacks in his final season with Kansas.
He might rotate in as a rookie, but he’s unlikely to start immediately. Right now, DeMarcus Walker is expected to start opposite Sweat, but he only had 3.5 sacks last season, so there’s room for improvement.
With nearly $23 million in cap space, the Bears have the flexibility to make significant additions in free agency. While Ngakoue hasn’t been linked to any teams yet, it’s possible the Bears could consider bringing him back.