The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the start of an exciting 2024 season with a roster stacked on offense, defense and special teams. But there is still one notable need: edge rusher.
While it’s good to have Pro Bowler Montez Sweat in place — something that wasn’t true at this time last year — there are still depth concerns behind Sweat and DeMarcus Walker. At this point, it certainly feels like general manager Ryan Poles could add a veteran before training camp. Could it be a familiar face in Yannick Ngakoue?
Unfortunately, Ngakoue’s 2023 season was cut short by an ankle injury in a Week 14 win over the Detroit Lions. Fast forward four months, and Ngakoue appears to be back healthy, as evidenced by a video he shared on X, formerly Twitter.
What ankle ? pic.twitter.com/FdhrvaZ3K6
— Yannick Ngakoue (@YannickNgakoue) May 2, 2024
Should the Bears re-sign Ngakoue?
Chicago brought in Ngakoue on a one-year, $10.5 million deal last August. He went on to have the worst season of his career (with a career-low 4.0 sacks), although he benefited from the addition of Sweat.
Assuming the Bears are looking to shore up depth at defensive end, Ngakoue wouldn’t be a bad option. He already knows Matt Eberflus’ defense and was at his best opposite Sweat. But if a reunion is in the cards, the two sides would need to agree on a more team-friendly deal.
