Yannick Ngakoue, a pass rusher, inked a one-year, $10 million contract with the Chicago Bears in August. However, according to a well-known NFL insider, the seasoned defensive end won’t be re-signed by the team in 2024.
Ngakoue, whose 2023 season is finished after he sustained a broken ankle during Chicago’s Week 14 victory over the Detroit Lions, will most likely be wearing a different jersey in 2024, according to insider Peter King, who writes NBC Sports’ weekly “Football Morning in America” column.
Since December 18, 2019, defensive end Yannick Ngakoue has been a member of six teams in the last four calendar years. On December 18, King stated, “The teams and number of games for each during the past 48 months are as follows: Jacksonville 2, Minnesota 6, Baltimore 11, Las Vegas 18, Indianapolis 15, Chicago 13.
Ngakoue, 28, who placed himself on injured reserve in Chicago last week due to a fractured ankle, is likely to play in 2024 for another team. In the span of five calendar years, that would be his sixth team. King said, “He would be 29 years old.
Examining Yannick Ngakoue’s 2023 Bears Stats
In his second season in the NFL, the 6-2, 246-pound DE was selected to the Pro Bowl while playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017. Ngakoue has spent his eight seasons in the NFL playing for six different teams, as King pointed out, making him somewhat of a journeyman. Prior to this season, he had averaged at least 8.0 sacks every season since being picked by the Jags in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
This season, Ngakoue had 13 starts for the Bears. He ended with 22 tackles, including six for loss, and 4.0 sacks. In 408 pass rush snaps, the 28-year-old DE had four quarterback hits and 26 hurries, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Bears lacked a potent pass rusher before acquiring Ngakoue, but everything changed after Chicago acquired Montez Sweat. Ngakoue was one of several players who benefited from the move, and Sweat’s acquisition has greatly improved the defense. Ngakoue recorded 4.0 sacks, of which two were during Sweat’s first five games as a Bear.
His numbers would have undoubtedly been greater had he participated in the team’s final five games; it’s sad that he was sidelined for the remainder of the season due to an injury.
“I just wanted to say thank you for him being an absolute pro throughout. Following the announcement on December 13 that Ngakoue will not be returning for the season, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus stated of the veteran DE, “Really helped our young guys the entire year and just want really credit him for that and really appreciate him being a great teammate.”
2024 Free Agency Is Expected to Be Packed With Potential Pass Rush Players
Ngakoue turns 29 in March 2024, and since guys like Bryce Huff, Danielle Hunter, and Chase Young are all eligible for free agency the following year, it’s probable that the Bears will attempt to recruit another elite pass rusher to line up alongside Sweat.
In November of last year, Bears insider Brad Biggs revealed that Chicago was expected to make Hunter a top free agent target for the upcoming campaign. Hunter is expected to sign a three-year, $65 million contract ($40 million guaranteed), according to Brad Spielberger of PFF. Spielberger envisions Young signing a one-year, $15 million contract (completely guaranteed) and Huff signing a three-year, $40 million contract ($28 million guaranteed).
It’s much more likely that Chicago will go for one of the younger, more productive choices rather than re-signing Ngakoue.
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