Most NFL players are motivated when they face their former teams. But in 2022, that will particularly be the case for new Indianapolis Colts defensive end Yannick Ngakoue.
This coming season, Ngakoue will face one of his former teams during four matchups. As AFC South rivals, the Colts will face the team that drafted Ngakoue, the Jacksonville Jaguars, twice.
Indianapolis will also visit the Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders. Ngakoue played for both teams over the last two years.
Ngakoue has especially circled the matchup with the Raiders, who traded Ngakoue for cornerback Rock Ya-Sin on March 16.
“They’ll see how I feel,” Ngakoue told Tyler Dunne of Go Long. “We go to their house. They’ll see why they f***** up.
“They’re going to have to pay. They’ll pay.”
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Indianapolis Colts Visit Las Vegas in 2022
Despite gearing up to play for his fifth team before turning 28, Ngakoue has been one of the most consistent edge rushers in the NFL over the last six seasons.
He’s one of just five pass rushers in the history of the league with at least 8.0 sacks in each of his first six seasons. The others are Reggie White, Derrick Thomas, DeMarcus Ware and Aaron Donald.
Yet, the Raiders dealt Ngakoue and replaced him with Chandler Jones, who is five years older than Ngakoue, this offseason.
The 2022 NFL schedule will be released on May 12, but Indianapolis’ opponents have been set since the end of the regular season. The Colts will visit the Raiders in 2022.
That will be a revenge game for not only Ngakoue but the entire Colts organization. Las Vegas beat Indianapolis, 23-20, in Week 17 last season. That defeat coupled with a loss to another former Ngakoue team, the Jaguars, in Week 18 caused the Colts to miss the playoffs.
The Raiders (10-7) finished a game in front of the Colts (9-8) in the wild card race.
Whether it’s the Raiders, Jaguars or some other team, Ngakoue is ready to roll this season.
“The way I feel right now, if you’re in my way? I would be afraid,” said Ngakoue to Dunne.
The Positive Experiences Yannick Ngakoue Received from Playing for the Raiders
Ngakoue shared a lot of dark moments from his life with Dunne, who published them in an article on May 5. As a child, Ngakoue grew up with an abusive father and in a home littered with no food and cockroaches.
But the defensive end persevered. His experience overcoming personal adversity helped him then become a leader for the Raiders last season when the team went through an unprecedented set of circumstances.
First, Las Vegas lost head coach Jon Gruden because of homophobic and misogynistic language he reportedly used in emails. Next, the Raiders released young star wide receiver Henry Ruggs, who allegedly drove his Corvette sports car at speeds of up to 156 mph while drunk. Ruggs crashed his car into the SUV of driver Tina Tintor, who “died from thermal injuries” from the vehicle collision according to the Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse.
Despite the distractions, Ngakoue, who was a team captain in 2021 for the first time, kept the Raiders focused.
“I told my teammates, ‘Listen. I know all this bull**** is going on, as far as Gruden and Ruggs and stuff like that, but we have to remember the goal. The goal is to get to L.A., the Super Bowl. Get to the mountain.’
“And guys bought in.”
Despite Ngakoue’s motivation to make the Raiders “pay,” it wasn’t all bad with the silver and black. Ngakoue told Dunne he bonded with defensive line coach Rod Marinelli and interim head coach Rich Bisaccia. Marinelli encouraged Ngakoue by telling him he had Hall of Fame potential if he continued to work very hard.
The Colts could use Ngakoue’s leadership on defense this season, but general manager Chris Ballard acquired Ngakoue for his tremendous potential as a pass rusher.
Indianapolis finished tied for 25th in sacks last year with 33. None of the team’s defenders reach eight sacks — the amount of sacks Ngakoue has recorded every year of his career.
The Colts had three sacks combined in the final two games of the season. Again, those losses kept Indianapolis out of the playoffs.
Ngakoue is ready to redeem the Colts pass rush this season, especially when Indianapolis visits Las Vegas.
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Yannick Ngakoue Sends Raiders Warning After Trade to Colts: ‘They’ll Pay’