The Chicago Bears and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue reportedly agreed to a one-year, $10.5 million deal on Thursday, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
Ngakoue, 28, will be tasked with leading the team’s defense this upcoming NFL season in hopes of making the job of quarterback Justin Fields much easier.
Fields, 24, was spectacular last season, but Chicago still went 3-14 due to a terrible defense, which recorded a league-low 20 sacks last year.
Ngakoue will join his sixth franchise in five years, but had 10 sacks in each of the past two seasons.
He played four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars before short stints with the Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders and most recently Indianapolis Colts.
‘Seamless’ transition for Ngakoue
Rapoport made sure to mention how Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has never coached Ngakoue, though the latter played in the former’s defensive system while at Indy.
“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,” Rapoport tweeted. “Ngakoue has never played for Matt Eberflus, but he’s played in his system before. It should be seamless.”
Eberflus was the defensive coordinator for the Colts from 2018 until 2021, leaving right before Ngakoue arrived.
Ngakoue, who could be the key to a successful season for the Bears, clearly made an impression on Eberflus and will hope to keep doing so in Chicago.
