Yannick Ngakoue is set to reunite with one of his former teams. The veteran edge rusher has a deal in place to return to the Ravens, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
Ngakoue was acquired via trade by the Ravens in 2020. That move ended the brief Vikings stint which came after his tenure in Jacksonville, and led to high expectations. The Maryland product played nine games with Baltimore, but he only recorded three sacks during that span. As a result, this move comes as something of a surprise as the team eyes pass rushing depth.
This will be a practice squad agreement, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic adds. Ngakoue will therefore have time to acclimate to Baltimore defense – coordinated by first-year DC Zach Orr – before making his way onto the active roster. Today’s news adds to the 29-year-old’s journeyman status, as his first Ravens stint was followed by one-year tenures with the Raiders, Colts and Bears.
Ngakoue remained productive in terms of pass rush success during his time in Vegas and Indianapolis, totaling 19.5 sacks. His Bears tenure did not go as planned, though, and he was limited to a 13 games and four sacks due to a broken ankle. Now healed, Ngakoue was frequently linked to a Bears reunion during the offseason, although Chicago added a veteran presence along the edge by trading for Darrell Taylor. That took the Bears out of the running for Ngakoue, who will look to deliver a better year in 2024 than he did during his first Baltimore tenure.
The Ravens (who have totaled nine sacks in three games) lost Jadeveon Clowney in the offseason, though they were able to retain fellow veteran Kyle Van Noy. The latter is joined by Odafe Oweh, David Ojabo, Tavius Robinson and Adisa Isaac, a young group of pass rushers. Not known for his run defense at any stop along the way, Ngakoue will be tasked with providing the Ravens with an experienced artist for the 2024 season. Succeeding in the role will help his free agent market next spring.