Yannick Ngakoue hopes to re-establish himself as one of the NFL’s ‘fiercest competitors’ originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
Yannick Ngakoue is trying to return to the NFL after having his 2023 season stolen because of a broken ankle with the Bears during week 14.
But he’s not thinking about proposals or contracts. He is focused on returning to his elite potential.
“Honestly, I haven’t thought about any specific offers or details,” Ngakoue told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Wednesday. “The only thing I’ve been thinking about is getting that grass again and re-establishing myself on the field as one of the fiercest competitors in the sport today.
“That’s the only thing I have on my mind. Everything else will come after that. I have to re-establish myself and remind people why I’m one of the best [pass] rushers. That’s the only thing on my mind.”
Ngakoue signed a one-year contract with the Bears ahead of the 2023 season worth $10.5 million. The Bears were hoping to round out their defensive line with a proven veteran.
Prior to his time with the Bears, Ngakoue recorded at least eight sacks in every season of his career. Unfortunately, he fell short of that mark with the Bears, in part because of his ankle injury. He finished with four sacks.
Recently, Ngakoue showed his healthy ankle in a workout video he posted on social media with the caption “What ankle?” The video shows him running around angled cones, imitating quick first steps off the line of scrimmage.
The Bears could use defensive line help, as they have barely tweaked the trenches since acquiring Montez Sweat via trade at the previous NFL trade deadline. They traded back in the 2024 NFL Draft to take Kansas’ advantage over Austin Booker in the fifth round. But they didn’t do much beyond that.
Teams have already started OTAs (Organized Team Activities) and training camp is on the horizon. It’s not easy being a free agent this late into NFL free agency.
But Ngakoue has faith that everything will work out as it should for him.
“I feel like everything is going to work out perfectly,” Ngakoue said. “Like I said, everything happens for a reason. God is a perfect planner, and at the end of the day, I’m just focused on myself, just focused on how I can improve, focused on the things I could have done better last year. At the end of the day, I don’t make excuses.
“I just hope I’m somewhere before training camp starts, because everyone needs to go through training camp to have the type of season they want. It’s like a boxer at the end of the day. If you don’t have a proper training ground, you could step into the ring and get knocked out. So it’s all about preparation. The only thing I care about is being able to help an organization, help young people and veterans as well to get a Super Bowl ring and bring a lot of energy to that building wherever I am. at the.”
