Patriots Waive Former Pro Bowl Pass Rusher

The New England Patriots have released a former Pro Bowl pass rusher.

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Yannick Ngakoue (55) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots are waiving defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, via ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Ngakoue played in six games with the Patriots this season, logging nine tackles. He was signed by New England back in early November.

The Pats have needed pass-rushing help all year, so they were hoping that Ngakoe—a former Pro Bowler—would provide them with a significant lift in that department.

Obviously, that did not happen.

Ngakoue began 2024 without a team but signed with the Baltimore Ravens in October. He totaled five tackles and 1.5 sacks in five contests with the Ravens before being released.

The 29-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Maryland, was originally selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

He spent the first four years of his career with the Jaguars, making the Pro Bowl in 2017 after registering 30 tackles, 12 sacks and six forced fumbles.

Since his stint in Jacksonville, Ngakoue has bounced around the league quite a bit, also spending time with the Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears. He had two stints in Baltimore, as well.

The Patriots still need to find players who can get to the quarterback during the offseason, particularly after trading both Matthew Judon and Josh Uche.

Fortunately, New England is slated to have a wealth of cap space, so the Pats should be able to fill that hole via free agency.

If not, the Patriots can always turn to the NFL Draft, where they will be a fair number of impressive pass rushers available.

New England is 3-13 on the year and will conclude its regular season by hosting the Buffalo Bills this Sunday.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Patriots, Raiders Swap No. 1 Pick, Superstar Defender in Trade Idea
• Patriots Could Shake Things Up With Massive NFL Draft Trade
• Patriots' Drake Maye Makes Major Franchise History
• Insider Urges Patriots to Fire Jerod Mayo
• Analyst Drops Bad News on Patriots' Top Free Agent Target