Now Rush Is for Yannick Ngakoue to Get Ready

At a few points in the off-season Yannick Ngakoue reportedly felt like he wanted to sign with one off the teams expected to compete for the Super Bowl.

Instead the former Colts defensive end wound up in Chicago with a team in the second year of a rebuild, and somehow it all felt natural.

"I feel like it was meant for me to be here," Ngakoue said. "I actually have a bear tatted on my hand. I feel like that was a sign to me that I was always meant to be a Chicago Bear."

Ngakoue agreed to terms on a $10.5 million deal over one year Thursday night and was at Halas Hall but not practicing yet on Friday.

"I just feel like it was a great fit," Ngakoue said. "Like I said, going back to what this culture means here, just the history here and also, it's a great transition–easy transition–with my position coach and my defensive coordinator."

That's because his position coach is Travis Smith, who served as assistant defensive coach in Las Vegas two years ago while Ngakoue played there. The defensive line coach was former Bears assistant and Lions head coach Rod Marinelli, a long-time proponent of the current Bears defensive system.

"You know, he's (Smith) a great guy and I was blessed and lucky enough to have him and coach Rod Marinelli as my coaches in Las Vegas," Ngakoue said. "They instilled a lot of great values in me and a lot of great practice habits. And those guys are like students of the game so it was actually a privilege to be able to be coached by those kind of guys."

Marinelli left a long-lasting imprint.

"I mean, just a guy, like I said, he loves ball, a guy that saw something in me," Ngakoue said. "I've been to a few places and that was a position coach that I feel like when I'm done playing the game that I'll always have a great relationship where we talk all the time. So he's definitely a legend in himself."

Ngakoue called the long Bears tradition a factor in determining where he'd sign, and he had a favorite former Bear.

"Absolutely, a guy that I really loved to watch was Julius Peppers when he had his stop here," Ngakoue said. "A guy that was a great power rusher. A guy that great speed off the edge.

"And coach Marinelli was also a guy that coached him. He used to tell me we have a lot of the same attributes and I just have to tap into that skillset and just show the world."

Of the Bears on this year's team, one left a particular imprint after he faced the Raiders in 2021. That was Bears quarterback Justin Fields in his first game as the official team starter.

"Yeah, a guy that's really twitchy and agile and can get after it," Ngakoue said. "Another year underneath his belt, he's going to be mature, he's going to help us lead us to some wins.

"Can't wait to be his teammate, can't wait to see him help us win football games."

It's the sixth team in an eight-year career for Ngakoue, yet he has always come up with high sack totals. His low for a season (8) is more than any other current Bears player has had for a high. No Bears lineman last year had more than Trevis Gipson's total of three.

"I'm not sure," Ngakoue said. "It goes back to productivity. I feel like I'm blessed to be able to produce consistently and that's what I plan on doing for my team here.

"We need to be able to be consistent and that's what I'm trying to bring here."

The only problem ahead for Ngakoue might be getting the No. 91 jersey away from second-year end Dominique Robinson.

"You know, that's my number," he said. "I love No. 91, so we'll see."

It sounds like there could be some cash coming to Robinson.

"Whatever it takes for me to get the jersey," Ngakoue said. "I mean, honestly, I love that number. Everywhere I've been I've thrived with that number. So hopefully I get it here."

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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