The Bears will be without one of their starting defensive ends for the season’s remainder. Yannick Ngakoue, who signed a one-year deal to join the team this summer, will not return this season due to the ankle injury he suffered Sunday.
Matt Eberflus said Wednesday the veteran defensive end sustained a broken ankle and will need surgery, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. This marks an unfortunate end to Ngakoue’s latest contract year, and it strips the Bears of a key defensive option as they make a late run toward a possible wild-card berth in the NFC.
Ngakoue, 28, is already on team No. 6. Though, a Bears team that ranked last in sacks in 2022 ponied up a $10.5MM contract for the former Jaguars, Vikings, Ravens, Raiders and Colts sack artist. Ngakoue has not missed a game this season. Despite Ngakoue suffering a late-game injury Sunday, Eberflus indicated he played through it. Given the severity of this malady, it is understandable that plan will not continue.
This will also end Ngakoue’s impressive sack streak. The ex-Jaguars third-round pick entered this season as the only active player to have posted at least eight sacks in each of the past seven seasons. The NFL nomad will fall short of that benchmark now, having totaled four sacks in his first Bears season. Ngakoue will also finish with a career-low seven quarterback hits; he had never previously finished with fewer than 11. The eighth-year vet had also displayed durability with his other teams; he has never missed more than two games in a season and has been sidelined for only four throughout his career. The Maryland alum will soon match that total.
The Bears, who traded Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn in 2022, finished with just 20 sacks last season. They have 21 through 13 games this year. That total still ranks 31st, though Chicago upped the ante at the trade deadline by acquiring Montez Sweat. Outflanking the Falcons’ offer, the Bears sent the Commanders a second-round pick for Sweat. The recently extended pass rusher has 3.5 sacks as a Bear and 10 overall this season. While Ngakoue led the Bears in sacks, the Sweat trade reduced his standing with the team. Sweat will now get in early work as the team’s pass-rushing anchor.
Chicago added DeMarcus Walker and Rasheem Green this offseason. Walker worked as a starter before the Sweat trade, and the $7MM-per-year player stands to return to a first-string role now. The Bears sit one game out of the No. 7 spot in the NFC playoff race, though the pursuit is littered with teams tied at 6-7 alongside the Packers, who currently hold the final wild-card slot. Chicago will hope to see Walker and Green effectively complement Sweat going forward.
Walker and Green will do just fine. Ngakoue wasn’t really a factor at all until Sweat showed up. And after that he still wasn’t all that. It’s not that big of a loss. Bears should think about trading down again and getting more picks and drafting an Edge somewhere next year. The Bears need another decent draft and they need more picks. They’ve built a stable of CB’s but they need an Edge and at least one S to make the defense better. Trading the 2nd for Sweat is looking like a winner and the trade for Claypool was a disaster.The Bears have 2 2nds in 2025 and maybe trade one to move back into the 2nd round this year. With Picks and money they should do nicely whether they keep Fields or not.
Could Edmunds be an answer at Safety? He has excellent range and ball skills to replace Eddie Jackson, who’s a certain post-June 1 cut this next off-season, imo. Edwards & Sanborn have both outplayed Edmunds at the Will & Mike, and are long term answers there. Backup LBs are easily acquired (Sewell is already a reliable backup and could start if needed).
Winfield would be the ideal FA acquisition at safety if they went that route.
Username checks out Tremaine is a 250lb linebacker so no. Maybe his brother Terrel
Sweat has 3.5 sacks as a Bear. Ngakoue had 4…it’s a loss but not a great loss.
He’s been “out” for most of the season already
I have to say I was surprised that Ngakoue had 4 sacks this season.. are we sure the NFL scorer did not give him an extra one or two out of pity?