Bears sign top remaining defensive free agent to $10.5 million deal |
Huge upgrade for the Monsters of the Midway.
The Chicago Bears are signing defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to a one-year, $10.5 million deal, including $10 million guaranteed, according to multiple reports on Thursday night. Ngakoue was the top remaining defensive target left on the free agent market and will fill a huge need for the Bears. He has never played for Matt Eberflus but has played in the same defensive system, so should be caught up to speed quickly in training camp. In 2022, Ngakoue had 29 total tackles and 9.5 sacks, while the entire Bears defense ends had only 6.5 sacks (the entire team had only 22). In the last two seasons, he has had 19.5 sacks. Ngakoue has registered at least eight sacks over his seven-year NFL career, which only five players in history have done. "I think he fits really well," Eberflus said recently. "He was in that same type of scheme there (with the Raiders). It's really the same type. It's not going to be a stretch for him. He fits really well, so we're excited about that. And we had some intel on him; what kind of teammate he is, what kind of person he is, what kind of worker he is. And he checked all the boxes there for us. He's going to be a good addition. "We see him as an every-down end, so he's going to have to play in those situations. "And he's done it. He's been good at it, and we've got to make sure that he sharpens that part of it as well. And he will do that. We're excited where he is in terms of being an every-down defensive end for us." He has also never totaled less than 40 pressures in a single season. He was a third-round draft pick of the Jaguars back in 2016. 🐻 Bears signing DE Yannick Ngakoue to a one-year, $10.5M deal. (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/BJxr408IjB The Bears are signing Yannick Ngakoue on a one-year deal, a source said. @AdamSchefter first reported the news. He had interest in joining this team throughout the offseason. Chicago now adds a proven pass rusher to a promising defense. The newest Monster of the Midway pic.twitter.com/fcOPfi6LTu
