Chicago Bears defensive end Yannick Ngakoue suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Sunday’s win against the Detroit Lions, head coach Matt Eberflus announced Wednesday.
Ngakoue suffered a broken ankle late in Sunday’s game against the Lions, and he played through it. Eberflus said it happened on one of the final plays, although he’s not sure specifically which play it happened on. Ngakoue will need surgery and will land on season-ending injured reserve.
As for how the Bears will compensate for Ngakoue’s loss in terms of getting more pressure, Eberflus joked: “Blitz every snap.”
The Bears signed Ngakoue to a one-year deal worth $10.5 million this offseason, where he served as the team’s top edge rusher until the team acquired Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders in Week 9.
#Bears coach Matt Eberflus said DE Yannick Ngakoue has a broken ankle. It's a season-ending injury and he will be placed on injured reserve.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) December 13, 2023
Ngakoue finishes this season with 4.0 sacks, making this the first time in his seven-year career where he hasn’t totaled at least eight sacks.
The Bears’ pass rush has made substantial progress in sacks, where they have 10 in the last four games (compared to 11 in the first nine games). Ngakoue’s loss isn’t ideal, so Eberflus will have to get creative when it comes to creating consistent pressure up front.
With Ngakoue sidelined, there will be opportunities for defensive ends DeMarcus Walker, Rasheem Green and Dominique Robinson (who’s been a healthy scratch for the last six games), along with defensive linemen like Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens to create pressure.