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The chances of Yannick Ngakoue ending up with the Chicago Bears for the 2023 season appear to have just gotten more realistic.
According to Chris Emma of 670 The Score, Ngakoue has expressed “interest in signing with the Bears” for the upcoming season and is continuing to seek a multi-year contract after playing for four different teams over the past three years.
Ngakoue indicated to SiriusXM NFL Radio back in June that he is more interested in finding a “stable home” for multiple seasons than he is about the price tag of his next contract, but it is unclear whether the Bears are looking for a short-term pass-rushing solution or a player who can be a part of their roster continuity for the long term.
In terms of production, there is little question that Ngakoue would offer a boost to the Bears’ defensive trenches. The 2017 Pro Bowler has tallied 19.5 combined sacks in the past two seasons and has never finished with fewer than eight sacks in a single year. Considering the Bears finished with a league-worst 20 sacks in 2022 and had a rookie safety lead them with four sacks, Ngakoue would be a welcomed addition to the front.
It is also worth noting that Ngakoue has said he wants to “play for a contender” and an “organization that wants to win a Super Bowl.” The Bears certainly want to contend, but they are likely still at least a year away from legitimizing those ambitions.
Bears Also Showing Interest in Signing Justin Houston
Ngakoue isn’t the only free agent pass rusher that has been linked to the Bears in the past few days, either. According to ESPN Chicago’s Peggy Kusinski, Chicago is one of the teams that has shown interest in potentially signing 34-year-old Justin Houston, who is a four-time Pro Bowl coming off a nine-sack season with Baltimore in 2022.
If the interest is mutual, Houston could be an option that fits better into the Bears’ long-term building plan than Ngakoue. They would likely only need to sign him to a one-year contract and wouldn’t have to worry about an exorbitant price tag given he played on a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Ravens last season. Signing him would give the Bears’ pass-rushing unit an immediate shot in the arm while also keeping things open for 2024 when they are expected to add more substantial talent.
Again, though, it all comes down to what the Bears are willing to invest.
Bears Adding a Veteran Pass Rusher is ‘No Certainty’
Bears general manager Ryan Poles suggested the team is still looking to sign a veteran pass rusher when he was asked about the subject on July 25’s report day for training camp, but he also emphasized that there is “no guarantee” it will work out that way.
“Obviously, there’s no certainty. It takes two to make sure it works out, so there’s a level of patience that comes with it [and] there’s no guarantee,” Poles told reporters Tuesday in his pre-camp press conference. “If not, no, I’m excited about the guys who are here. [DeMarcus] Walker’s done a great job, [Dominique] Robinson is coming along, [Trevis] Gipson is coming along, so I’m happy with the guys that are here, but obviously, we’re gonna look to improve if we can. If it works out, we’ll attack it.”
Trusting the current group after last year’s shortcomings might feel like malpractice to some Bears fans, but there is evidence to suggest it could work out for them. Walker finally broke through for a seven-sack season with Tennessee in 2020 and, if he can maintain his momentum, could bring similar pass disruption off the edge for the Bears in 2023. Gipson is also just two years removed from his own seven-sack season.
The Bears also have Robinson chasing a “10-sack season” after struggling to find consistency in his game as a rookie. Technically, Robinson is only heading into his third full season as a defensive end, but he said on The Good Athlete Podcast in May that he now understands the game better heading into his second NFL season.
The Bears would still be asking for a lot to have all three of them take a step forward for their defense in 2023, but the potential is there for current personnel to surprise.
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