Bears in Talks to Sign 69-Sack Free Agent Pass Rusher: Report

The Chicago Bears missed out on trading for four-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon, but they could circle back to a familiar face with more sacks than Judon to help reinforce their defensive end position for the 2024 season.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Bears have “been talking to Yannick Ngakoue” about potentially re-signing with the team for the upcoming year. The 29-year-old is one of the top edge rushers still available on the 2024 free agent market.

Ngakoue had a disappointing season for the Bears in 2023 after signing a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the team last August. He started 13 games opposite veteran DeMarcus Walker — and, eventually, Montez Sweat after the Bears’ midseason trade — but he tallied a career-low four sacks and 34 pressures and broke his ankle in Week 14.

As much of a letdown as Ngakoue’s first season in Chicago was, though, the 2017 Pro Bowler is still a highly accomplished pass rusher. He had recorded at least eight sacks in each of his previous seven seasons and 69 sacks total in his career, which is more than trade options like Judon (66.5), Trey Hendrickson (59.5) and Haason Reddick (58).

Ngakoue also improved once the Bears brought in Sweat at October 31’s trade deadline even though the former’s season-ending injury limited the pair to five games together. If Ngakoue gets a full season to work opposite Sweat, perhaps he can recapture his previous pass-rushing success for the Bears in 2024 and offer them a needed boost.

Yannick Ngakoue Tops Bears’ Free Agent DE Options

If the Bears want to add another veteran pass rusher to their roster before the 2024 season begins, they are not going to find many free agents better than Ngakoue.

As of August 20, the edge-rusher market has mostly dwindled. Many top-level talents signed with teams during the first few waves of 2024 free agency in the spring, while other veterans — such as Emmanuel Ogbah and Carl Lawson — have found spots with teams during the past month of NFL training camps as needs have emerged.

That leaves Ngakoue and a handful of other near-30 veterans at the top of the position. Justin Houston (35), Markus Golden (33), Shaq Barrett (32) and Romeo Okwara (29) are also unsigned free agents, but only Houston has more sacks (112) than Ngakoue.

The big question is Ngakoue’s health, but the Bears likely already have answers to most of their questions about his ankle. The Chicago Tribune’s Dan Wiederer told 670 The Score back in May that the team had been monitoring his recovery process during the offseason, which left the door open for a possible reunion between the two in 2024.

Ngakoue also tested his ankle in a roster workout for the Miami Dolphins on July 24. Ultimately, the Dolphins passed on him and re-signed the familiar Ogbah to bolster their defense, but his willingness to work out for a team indicates his ankle is healthy.

According to Over the Cap, the Bears have roughly $21.4 million in effective cap space for the 2024 season, but they presumably would not have to pay nearly as much to add Ngakoue to their defense as they did in 2023. Consider it an option until Ngakoue signs elsewhere — or the Bears find another way to address their pass-rushing need.

Have Bears Set Sights Higher at Edge Rusher for 2024?

Ngakoue makes logical sense for the Bears based on affordability, familiarity and — frankly — a lack of free agent options otherwise. After the Bears took a serious run at Judon, though, could they perhaps have their sights set higher than Ngakoue?

According to NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry, the Bears offered a third-round pick for Judon before he landed with the Atlanta Falcons. While they did miss out on him, the fact that they offered a Day 2 pick for a 32-year-old pass rusher coming off a season-ending biceps injury speaks volumes about their desire to add a high-end edge rusher.

What other options are there, though? Reddick remains in a contract dispute with the New York Jets and has a standing trade request, but the team has stated it will not trade him. The situation between Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals also appears to have stabilized in the months since he requested a trade, leaving few obvious targets.

There is a chance that New Orleans Saints former first-round pick Payton Turner could be an option for the Bears. Injuries have limited him to just 15 games over his first three seasons in the NFL, and he has logged just three sacks and 29 total tackles in the action that he has seen. Still, he is just 25 with untapped first-round potential. Chicago could also possibly get him for a late-round pick swap, too, if the Saints are ready to move on.