The Chicago Bears have improved their team this offseason, but they still need to focus on finding another edge rusher to pair with Montez Sweat.
Chicago has plenty of salary cap space, with about nearly $23 million available as of Monday, May 6, and more options to free up space if needed. They will likely prioritize adding a second defensive end to strengthen their defense, depending on the quality of available players.
With only second-tier free agency available, the Bears may not find a long-term solution to complement Sweat this offseason. Instead, they may pursue a short-term fix to bridge the gap until they find a more sustainable option.
One potential option is reuniting with Yannick Ngakoue, who played for Chicago last season on a contract worth about roughly $10.5 million.
“The Bears signed Ngakoue to strengthen their pass rush last summer, but his season ended early due to an ankle injury,” Alex Shapiro of NBC Sports reported over the weekend. “If he is medically cleared, it would make sense for the team to bring him back since they are familiar with each other. It would also relieve some of the pressure on [Austin] Booker as he develops his talent in his first season.”
Booker was one of Chicago’s five draft picks in 2024 — a 6-foot, 5-inch and 240-pound edge out of Kansas the team selected in the fifth round.
Many NFL writers have suggested that Yannick Ngakoue could return to the Bears in the past week
GettyDefensive end Yannick Ngakoue of the Chicago Bears.
Shapiro is not the only analyst who has mentioned the possibility of a reunion between Ngakoue and the Bears since the NFL draft concluded late last month.
“The experienced edge rusher recorded [7] quarterback hits, [6] tackles for loss and [4] sacks last season,” Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report wrote on Monday. “Chicago could benefit from added production from the position opposite Montez Sweat to keep their offense on the field as much as possible in 2024. Sweat will be the team’s main pass rusher, but having someone of Ngakoue’s experience on the opposite side would force opposing defenses to be honest with their blocking strategies.”
Bill Zimmerman of SB Nation’s Windy City Gridiron also made a similar suggestion on May 3.
“I believe the Bears will sign another experienced player in this position, and I think Ngakoue makes the most sense,” Zimmerman stated. “He didn’t have a great 2023 season in Chicago, but he knows Matt Eberflus‘ system, and there aren't many available veterans who were highly productive in 2023. The lower end of this group is weak.”
Ngakoue played and started in 13 games for the Bears in 2023, missing four due to injury.
Austin Booker Could Prove to Be a Valuable Late-Round Find for the Bears Over Time
GettyDefensive end Austin Booker of the Chicago Bears.
Ngakoue is 29 years old and in his ninth NFL season. Although he was a Pro Bowler once and had at least 8 sacks in every season before last year, his performance in 2023 was his worst yet.
In simpler terms, he is not the long-term solution. Booker, on the other hand, might be.
On April 29, Dane Brugler of The Athletic selected Booker as one of his Day-3 picks who could turn out to be valuable over time.
“The Bears gave up a 2025 fourth-round pick to move back into this draft (at No. 144) and grab Booker, who could have easily been drafted on Day 2,” Brugler stated. “While he may not be ready for a significant role as a rookie, Booker shows promise in pass-rushing and could be a steal when we reflect on this pick in two or three years.”
