Following a dreadful, NFL-worst 3-14 record last season, the Chicago Bears had a long way to go to earn respect from fans. Though, a lively offseason has seen them plug in many of their biggest holes and provide quarterback Justin Fields with a considerable safety net on offense. Their latest move aims to restore their once impressive defense.
“The Bears are signing former Colts star pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue to a 1-year, $10.5M deal, sources say, giving them a weapon off the edge they’ve been seeking,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweeted. “Ngakoue has never played for {head coach} Matt Eberflus, but he’s played in his system before. It should be seamless.”
Despite already being in the thick of training camp, the team still managed to make a big splash and greatly boost their defensive line. Ngakoue has recorded 9.5 sacks or more in each of the last two seasons and has produced for three different franchises during his seven-year career. He earned a Pro Bowl selection while playing with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017-18 (12 sacks, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries).
The 28-year-old and Eberflus nearly crossed paths on the Indianapolis Colts, with the latter leaving for Chicago right before Ngaokoue played his only season there last year. They figure to make quite the tandem in 2023. The Bears failed to put much pressure on opposing quarterbacks, so this addition was sorely needed.
While the franchise's recent history has been a combination of uneven and lackluster, no one can say management is not actively trying to construct a competitive and exciting football product. Yannick Ngakoue will make this enigma even more intriguing ahead of the 2023-24 NFL season.
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