3 Former Bears Still Unemployed Entering Week 2

The Chicago Bears began the Caleb Williams era with a hard-fought 24-27 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. There's no time to bask in the celebration, though, as the Bears must turn their attention to the upcoming Week 2 showdown against the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Chicago said goodbye to several players during the offseason, so it's great to see that general manager Ryan Poles' summer additions are already paying off. While some of those former Bears quickly found new teams to play for, others are still waiting for their next employment opportunity.

Let's take a look at these three ex-Bears who are still unemployed in Week 2.

1. Yannick Ngakoue, DE

A former 2016 third-rounder, Yannick Ngakoue has become quite the journeyman throughout his career. He's played games with six franchises across the last eight seasons and most recently spent the 2023 campaign in Chicago after inking a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Bears last offseason.

While Bears fans didn't necessarily receive prime Ngakoue, he still made his presence felt on the field. The former Maryland product tallied 13 solo tackles and 4.0 sacks through 13 games before breaking his ankle in a Week 14 showdown against the Detroit Lions, prematurely ending his season in the process.

NFL insider Albert Breer reported in August that the Bears were open to reuniting with Ngakoue, however, his pricy contract demands have prevented a deal from being signed.

Even if he isn't what he once was, Ngakoue could be a solid second-string contributor for the Bears (or anywhere else he may go). It just all depends if he's willing to take a pay cut or not.