Former Colts Star Lost for Season
Former Indianapolis Colts edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue led the team win 9.5 sacks in 2022. He was allowed to leave as a free agent in the offseason, and he signed with the Chicago Bears.
Bears' head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed Ngakoue broke his ankle last week vs. the Detroit Lions and will go on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
"Yannick Ngakoue is going to IR," said Eberflus at his press conference on Wednesday. "He broke his ankle. It's season ending, so he will not be back this season. He'll still be around the building. Just want to compliment him on being a true pro. He really helped our young guys the entire year. I really appreciate him being a great teammate."
Ngakoue's ability to get to the quarterback made him only a handful of players to register eight sacks in each of his first-seven seasons. The other four players look like candidates for a Mt. Rushmore of rush artists: Reggie White, Aaron Donald, Derrick Thomas, and DeMarcus Ware.
Ngakoue never reached the rare air of those other players in large part because he was a liability against the run.
The Colts decided to let Ngakoue go last season and replaced him with Sam Ebukam in free agency. Ebukam has been one of the free agent signings in the NFL this season.
Despite his 9.5 sacks last season, Ngakoue had a 43.7 rush-defense grade according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Through 13 games, Ebukam leads the Colts with eight sacks and has posted a 78.5 rush-defense grade, good for 12th among eligible edge defenders.
Ngakoue hadn't lived up to the Bears' hopes this season with just four sacks and a paltry 37.7 rush-defense grade, but this is still an unfortunate blow for the former Colt.
