NEWSLETTER
Yannick Ngakoue’s name has come up recently as a Chicago Bears fit amidst reports that the team was looking to add pass rush help ASAP. Plus, Ngakoue himself said he is open to signing with any of the league’s 32 teams after initially sharing his preference to join a Super Bowl contender. Take a hint, Bears. Please, take a hint.
And if that wasn’t enough, here’s one more. In breaking down the edge defender market, 670 The Score’s Chris Emma has a nugget about Ngakoue and the Bears that certainly catches my attention. But if you were only skimming through it, then you’d probably miss it (bold emphasis mine):
Ngakoue, 28, posted 9.5 sacks last season with the Colts. He has posted no fewer than eight sacks over seven NFL seasons. Ngakoue has interest in signing with the Bears, according to multiple sources. He is seeking a multi-year deal having played with four different teams over the last three seasons.
Well, this is a spicy meatball. It is certainly the first known report of Ngakoue having an interest in signing with Chicago. This is something worth chewing on, so let’s take some time and do that.
Prior to Chris Emma’s reporting, the conversation had mostly been around the Bears potentially having an interest in him. Even that is more hypothetical and rooted in making logical connections based on team needs and whatnot. Perhaps this is leverage on Ngakoue’s end. That could make sense, especially since this comes one day after the Bears were reportedly expressing interest in Justin Houston — another free-agent pass rusher who would make sense on this year’s team. I almost want the Bears to throw caution to the wind and get both, but I’m not sure that is all too feasible. In any case, it is a good thing that GM Ryan Poles has options. Heck, he even has one who reportedly wants in on the action.
When chopping it up with the media on Tuesday, Poles said he wasn’t ruling out adding a pass rusher. OK, so Poles also said he had high expectations for the guys who were already on the team. And while that was a nod to Trevis Gipson and Dominque Robinson, Poles not closing the door on adding help at the position should put those players on notice. Keep that head on a swivel, gang. The NFL roster churn is so often unforgiving.
Although, I’ll say this: Bringing in a proven pass rusher to stabilize the starting unit would be beneficial for both Gipson and Robinson. Bring in a newbie and let Gipson return to the rotational pass-rusher role he was excelling in as recently as 2021. Doing that would allow the Bears to slow-play Robinson’s development as an edge defender. It’s not as if he’s been doing that gig for that long. For me, bringing in pass-rush help is a multi-layer win-win. So … why hasn’t it happened yet? It’s not as if we don’t know what the market is for free-agent pass rushers. We do!
Back to Yannick Ngakoue to close this loop. Ngakoue has long been a sensible free-agent target for the Bears. He plays defensive end, a position the Bears could stand to add to ahead of the start of the 2023 season. And it’s not just that Ngakoue plays the position, but he also plays it well. Ngakoue has put up at least 8 sacks in each of the seven years he has been a pro. So, yeah, the Bears *SHOULD* have an interest in bringing someone like that into the fold. And that Ngakoue has an interest in the Bears makes me think something could go down if the Bears feel similarly … so stay tuned.
