NFL Rumors: Yannick Ngakoue, Ravens Agree to Contract Ahead of Bills Game

The Baltimore Ravens are reportedly signing veteran defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Ngakoue, 29, appeared in nine games for the Ravens in the 2020 season, registering three sacks. He last played for the Chicago Bears in the 2023 season, posting 22 tackles, four sacks, six tackles for loss and seven quarterback hits in 13 starts.

For his career, Ngakoue has notched 69 total sacks.

Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic noted that Ngakoue will initially return to the Ravens on the practice squad.

Three games into the 2024 season, the Ravens have notched 10 sacks, ninth in the NFL. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy (four) has led that charge, though teams can never have enough quality options off the edge.

The Baltimore defense looked fantastic in the first three quarters against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, holding them to just three points as the Ravens stormed to a 28-3 lead. But the Cowboys made things interesting in a hectic fourth quarter, putting up 19 points to make things tight.

After letting the Kansas City Chiefs put 27 points on them in a Week 1 loss and the Las Vegas Raiders score 26 in a surprising Week 2 loss, the defense letting up against Dallas was a concerning development.

A slow start on that side of the ball isn't the biggest surprise, given the team has a new defensive coordinator in Zach Orr. Perhaps the addition of Ngakoue will bolster the pass rush and help the Ravens return to the form that saw them finish sixth in the NFL last season in yards allowed (301.4 YPG) and was tops in points allowed (16.5 PPG).