The Chicago Bears have made headlines this offseason, but their revamped pass rush is not among their most notable changes.
In 2022, Chicago’s pass rush was the weakest in the NFL, recording just 20 sacks. Despite improving to 30 sacks last year, the Bears still ranked 31st in this critical category. As a result, Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey has highlighted former Pro Bowler Yannick Ngakoue as a top target for the Bears in the lead-up to the season.
Tansey suggests that while the Bears will give rookie Austin Booker ample time to prove himself in the preseason, they should consider signing a veteran like Ngakoue if Booker isn’t ready. Ngakoue, who previously played for the Bears, delivered a solid performance with 6 tackles for loss and 4 sacks last season. A repeat of this performance would be valuable for Chicago in 2024.
Ngakoue, who signed a one-year deal worth $10.5 million with the Bears last year, had a subpar season, managing only 4 sacks in 13 games. This decline, partly due to a late-season ankle injury, may affect his contract demands. Despite his previous success, including seven seasons with 8 or more sacks, Ngakoue’s performance last year and injury issues might drive down his price, giving the Bears an advantage in negotiations.
Chicago’s pass rush improvement last season was significantly due to the acquisition of Montez Sweat, who tallied 6 sacks in 9 games. However, without another seasoned pass rusher like Ngakoue, the Bears may rely heavily on Booker, a fifth-round rookie from Kansas. Although Booker had a strong collegiate season with 8 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, he is considered a raw talent and might not be ready to take on a significant role immediately.
The Bears have $12.2 million in salary cap space, making it feasible for them to allocate around half of that to Ngakoue for a year, thereby easing the pressure on Booker during his rookie season.
