The Chicago Bears did a great job addressing their needs this off-season. They got their new quarterback in Caleb Williams, fortified his arsenal of weapons with Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, enhanced the depth on the offensive line, and added a more explosive option at running back. The one lingering concern was whether they did enough to help their pass rush. While they do have Montez Sweat, it’s hard to feel like they improved. Justin Jones left for Arizona. They did grab promising young talent Austin Booker in the 5th round, but he isn’t likely to start right away.
DeMarcus Walker is the projected starter opposite Sweat at the moment. That isn’t ideal. He doesn’t have the necessary speed off the edge to take full advantage. Walker is better utilized as an inside-outside chess piece. The Bears need somebody who can be a more explosive presence. It appears they may have a solution in mind. According to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune, the team could bring back veteran Yannick Ngakoue for another season, depending on the status of his broken ankle.
He’s still only 29 years old. While he didn’t have the sack numbers people would’ve liked, he was still a reliable presence off the edge. Things really began to rev up once Sweat arrived. In the five games they played together, Ngakoue had two sacks and 12 pressures on the quarterback. If that ankle fully recovers, and there is no reason to think it won’t, reuniting the two makes perfect sense. Ngakoue will undoubtedly be motivated to avenge his disappointing year in 2023, and he’ll likely be cheaper to acquire.
The question is whether other teams might make a strong push to sign him. That is possible, but most teams around the league have already secured their pass rush concerns through free agency or the draft. Ngakoue was out of the picture rehabbing his injury. Perhaps the Chicago Bears were quiet on that front because they knew they would likely bring him back. A rotation of Sweat, Ngakoue, Walker, and Booker is more than adequate for what this defense will need.
