The Chicago Bears have remained surprisingly quiet on their pass rush situation despite clear signs they may not have enough bodies going into the season. Montez Sweat remains a beast, and Gervon Dexter might be positioning himself for a breakout season. However, they don’t have another definitive edge rusher despite their excitement about rookie 5th round pick Austin Booker. DeMarcus Walker is more of a hybrid option, and Jacob Martin is best as a rotational piece. That leaves many wondering why the Bears haven’t talked to Yannick Ngakoue about a return.
He appears healthy after breaking his ankle last season. For the brief time they were together, he and Sweat seemed to pair well. He’s still under 30 years old and could serve as a reliable bridge to next year, where the Bears have three picks in the first two rounds of the draft to address the issue. At last, we have some information on this subject. According to Albert Breer of the MMQB, the Bears have been in contact with Ngakoue. There are two issues.
That brings us to perhaps the biggest swing factor in the Bears’ season, and that’s the defensive front. Montez Sweat gives them a star up front. DeMarcus Walker is steady on the opposite side. Dexter Gervon Sr., a massive second-year defensive tackle, really changed his body this offseason, and should be a disruptive force. But this is an area where there could be an addition—though there’s optimism that long, strong instinctive fifth-rounder Austin Booker will surprise some folks as a rookie. They did have Yannick Ngakoue last year, and if the price comes down a bit on him, he could help as a pass-rush specialist for a group that could use just a little more juice. My guess is that they’ll want to see young guys like Booker in a preseason game or two, at least, before moving on something like that.
The Bears paid him a one-year contract for $10 million. The problem is he only had four sacks last season and didn’t finish because of the injury. Other teams haven’t inflated his market with interest. He’s still available for a reason. GM Ryan Poles knows this and has likely relayed that through the media to ensure Ngakoue understands the reality. Chicago would love having him back, but not for the money he seeks. They aren’t that desperate. The defense was still pretty good after he got hurt. It allowed 20, 16, 17, and 17 points over those final four games he missed.
Nobody disputes that Yannick Ngakoue can still be a strong presence rushing the passer. He simply must come to understand that his negotiating leverage isn’t as strong as it was a year ago. There are two choices: bring the price down and get into camp, or hold out possibly into the season, hoping a team gets desperate enough to pay him what he wants. There is a strong chance fans will get an answer after the second preseason game later this week.
