LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears defensive end Yannick Ngakoue is headed to injured reserve after breaking an ankle Sunday against the Detroit Lions.
Ngakoue will need surgery, according to coach Matt Eberflus, for an injury he suffered in the fourth quarter. He recorded four sacks in 13 games this season, his first in Chicago.
"Just wanted to compliment him on him being a true pro all the way through," Eberflus said. "Really helped our young guys the entire year and just want really credit him for that and really appreciate him being a great teammate."
Ngakoue's last snap in Chicago's 28-13 win over Detroit came on a second-down run play by Lions running back David Montgomery with 7:45 remaining in the fourth quarter. The edge rusher limped off the field to the sideline where he immediately went to the bench.
The Bears signed Ngakoue to a one-year, $10.5 million contract with $10 million guaranteed in early August. Chicago was Ngakoue's fifth team since the start of the 2020 season and his arrival came on the heels of a 9.5-sack season with the Colts in 2022. Before the 2023 season, the 28-year-old Ngakoue had posted at least eight sacks per season over his seven-year NFL career.
Chicago's pass rush has shown considerable improvement since pairing Ngakoue with fellow defensive end Montez Sweat at the trade deadline. Sweat has 3.5 sacks in five games since joining the Bears and reached his first career double-digit sack total against Detroit where he registered a sack and a team-high eight pressures.
The Bears will now look to the likes of Demarcus Walker, Rasheem Green and Dominique Robinson -- who has been inactive each game since Sweat was acquired -- to fill the void created by the loss of Ngakoue.
"Everybody just step up," Eberflus said. "Step into their roles, and lean into it. When you have injury, you have an opportunity for people -- for Dom, for Walk, for all those guys that are going to be in there."