Bears signing Yannick Ngakoue leaves fans mocking DE for joining his sixth team in five years - “Bro gets passed around like a blunt”

Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue will be playing for a new team in 2023.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter tweeted:

“The top available defensive free agent, DE Yannick Ngakoue, is signing a one-year, $10.5 million deal, including $10 million guaranteed with the Chicago Bears. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, confirmed the deal Thursday night.”

Schefter added:

“Bears defense ranked last in the NFL last season in both sacks with 22 and quarterback pressures with 172. Enter Yannick Ngakoue.”

While the former Maryland standout has been a steady pass rusher over the years, he will be suiting up for his sixth NFL team in five seasons.

His journeyman status had one football fan reacting:

“Bro gets passed around like a blunt”

Another fan said:

“Bears +10000 Super Bowl winner bet looking gooooood rn”

Here are some other comments regarding Yannick Ngakoue’s signing with the Chicago Bears:

Some football fans brought up the value of Ngakoue’s contract with the Bears. Getting a solid pass rusher for $10.5 million is a steal, especially when the top annual value at his position is $25 million (Myles Garrett). Maxx Crosby is at second with a $23 million yearly average.

Ngakoue had 19.5 sacks in his last two seasons, ten of those came when he played for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021. He got the rest last year while suiting up for the Indianapolis Colts.

Yannick Ngakoue's contract breakdown

Not much is known regarding the exact details of Yannick Ngakoue’s contract. All that’s been publicly shared is its total value and that it’s a fully guaranteed deal.

It’s the fourth NFL contract in Ngakoue’s eight-year career. He signed a four-year, $3.48 million rookie contract with the Jaguars in 2016. He agreed to a one-year, $12 million restructured contract with the Vikings four years later.

Ngakoue signed a two-year, $26 million deal with Las Vegas in 2021. The year before, the Jaguars offered him a $17.7 million franchise tag before getting traded to Minnesota.

Yannick Ngakoue’s revolving door career

While some treat the deal as a bargain, some experts pointed out the deficiencies that made him a free agent this late in the offseason.

ESPN's sports analytics writer Seth Walder tweeted:

“Ngakoue ranked 28th out of 49 qualifiers in pass rush win rate at edge last season. 39th out of 43 in run stop win rate.”

Meanwhile, "Locked On Panthers" host Julian Council said:

“I personally don’t think the Panthers were giving $10 million to a guy who can only help them on 3rd down. Ngakoue isn’t on the market in August, and on his sixth team in eight years, if he wasn’t a liability against the run. Either way, a good deal for him.”

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected him in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. After four years with the squad, the Jaguars traded him to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2021 second-round and a conditional fifth-round pick.

A month later, the Vikings traded Yannick Ngakoue to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2021 third-rounder and a 2022 conditional fifth-rounder. He signed with the Raiders on March 2021. Nearly a year later, they traded him to the Colts for cornerback Rock Ya-Sin.