Chicago Bears sign Yannick Ngakoue to a 1-year, $10.5 million deal, filling a huge need at edge rusher

Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles hinted a pass rusher could be coming since back in the spring, and the wait could prove to have been worth it.

The Chicago Bears reached an agreement with free agent Yannick Ngakoue, who instantly becomes their most proven edge rusher and should boost a defense that was last in the NFL with only 20 sacks in 2022.

”We’re interested in a lot of free agents,” Eberflus said after the team’s first open OTA in May when the coach was asked about adding a pass rusher. “We’re interested in a lot of guys at all positions. We’re just excited about being able to look at those guys and potentially add as we go through camp and getting closer to the season.”

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The Bears finalized a deal to add the 28-year-old Ngakoue on Thursday night, signing him to a one-year contract worth $10.5 million. He was the most proven edge rusher with some youth on the market and by waiting himself, it might have helped Ngakoue financially. The Buffalo Bills signed 2016 Bears first-round pick Leonard Floyd to a one-year contract in June with a base value of $7 million. After that, the Denver Broncos signed Frank Clark for even less.

Ngakoue has produced eight sacks or more in all seven of his seasons, totaling 19 1/2 over the previous two years with the Indianapolis Colts and Las Vegas Raiders. He had a career-high 12 sacks for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017.

He has been on five teams since the start of the 2019 season — the Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens, Raiders and Colts — bouncing around in part because he’s viewed as strictly a pass rusher and a liability against the run. Defensive line coach Travis Smith was an assistant for the Raiders in 2021 when Ngakoue had 10 sacks and 23 quarterback hits, so the Bears had a good scouting report on him.

The Bears can use Ngakoue as a designated pass rusher, meaning he would play mostly in sub packages. That could result in him getting 70% of the defensive snaps or more. He joins a team that has DeMarcus Walker, Trevis Gipson, Dominique Robinson and Rasheem Green, among others, at defensive end.

Ngakoue is only the fifth player in league history to record eight or more sacks in each of his first seven seasons. The other four are Reggie White, Derrick Thomas, DeMarcus Ware and current Los Angeles Ram Aaron Donald.

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Strong safety Jaquan Brisker led the Bears with four sacks last season, and while general manager Ryan Poles has made upgrades at defensive tackle, the draft board didn’t fall in a manner in which the front office felt it could get a defensive end that fit the team’s needs and offered value.

Adding Ngakoue with young defensive tackles on the roster helps complete the defense. It could still be a top priority at the end of this season, and probably will be, but Poles filled a glaring need.