The Chicago Bears acquired Montez Sweat last season at the trade deadline and he immediately paid dividends. But they came away from this offseason adding just rookie fifth-round pick Austin Booker at the position while 2023 free agency acquisition DeMarcus Walker appears slated to start.
They brought Sweat in, in part, because their offseason work did not pan out as planned. Walker was part of that group and while the versatile lineman proved to be a critical part of the front, they lacked an explosive presence off the edge.
Enter: Yannick Ngakoue.
The veteran seemed like the perfect complement to Walker on the other side. That obviously did not prove to be the case with the Sweat trade at midseason. But things trended upward after the trade until Ngakoue suffered a broken ankle. Now five months removed from the injury, Ngakoue is simply biding his time in free agency.
Ex-Bears EDGE Yannick Ngakoue Breaks Silence on Free Agency
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“I haven?t really been thinking about an offer or details in specific at all. The only thing I?ve been thinking about is taking that grass again and re-establishing myself on the field as one of the fiercest competitors in the game today,? Ngakoue said on ?SiriusXM NFL Radio? on May 29. ?That?s the only thing on my mind. Everything else will come after that. I have to re-establish myself and remind people of why I?m one of the best rushers. And That?s the only thing on my mind.?
Bears players poured out their support for Ngakoue following the injury, including Walker who was one of the first to reach out in the aftermath.
?I feel like everything?s gonna work out perfectly,? Ngakoue said. ?Everything happens for a reason. God is the perfect planner at the end of the day. I?m just focused on myself. Just focused on how can I get better? Focusing on things that I could have done better last year. At the end of the day, I make no excuses. I just hope that I?m somewhere before training camp starts.
?Everyone needs to go through a training camp in order to have the kind of season they want to have,? Ngakoue said. ?It?s just like a boxer at the end of the day. If you don?t have a training camp, you can go into the ring and get knocked out. So it?s all about preparation. The only thing I?m worried about is being able to help out a organization, help out the young guys, and guys that are veterans as well to be able to get a Super Bowl ring, and just to bring great energy to that building wherever I?m at.?
Ngakoue got to the Bears late in the process last season, signing a one-year, $10 million contract just nine days before their first preseason game.
Yannick Ngakoue ‘Definitely’ Talking With Teams
He went on to record a career-low 4.0 sacks for the Bears in 2023. His 13 appearances were also the second-fewest of the one-time Pro Bowler?s career, with stops at the Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, and Minnesota Vikings.
He did not provide any specific names, But Ngakoue has been in contact with teams.
?Definitely been in conversations with teams,? Ngakoue said. ?When the perfect opportunity presents itself, everyone should know.?
Perhaps that opportunity arises with the Bears again as they hit the next phase of their offseason with few glaring needs on a re-tooled roster. Edge rusher appears to be one of those needs.