Once Popular Former Viking Booted from Patriots
The New England Patriots will not visit the postseason — not by a longshot — and, in fact, would choose first in the 2025 NFL Draft were it held tonight.
Once Popular Former Viking Booted from Patriots
Aside from rookie quarterback Drake Maye’s growth and development — the guy’s eventually going to be really productive — nothing went right for the 2024 Patriots.
And on Tuesday, five days before the end of their regular season, New England cut ties with former Minnesota Vikings EDGE rusher Yannick Ngakoue. His brief tenure with the Patriots is over. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted Tuesday, “Patriots are waiving veteran pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue today, per source.”
It is unclear if the Patriots dropped Ngakoue for poor performance or out of respect so he can join a playoff-contending team. This week, the Dallas Cowboys offloaded running back Ezekiel Elliott to chase a Super Bowl ring, and the Miami Dolphins have hinted the same for defensive tackle Calais Campbell.
If Ngakoue clears waivers — he probably will — he’ll be free to sign anywhere in the NFL.
Here’s his NFL resume to date:
- Jacksonville Jaguars (2016–2019)
- Minnesota Vikings (2020)
- Baltimore Ravens (2020)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2021)
- Indianapolis Colts (2022)
- Chicago Bears (2023)
- Baltimore Ravens (2024)
- New England Patriots (2024)
Ngakoue has served as a year-by-year pass-rushing mercenary for hire since his 2020 Vikings stop.
On August 30th, 2020, Yannick Ngakoue was dealt to the Vikings early on a Sunday morning for a 2nd-Round pick in 2021 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2022. Ngakoue was at a contractual impasse with the Jaguars at the time, a team in full sell-off mode after reaching the AFC Championship in 2017. The Vikings seized the bait and sought to employ a duo of EDGE rushers that would inspire nightmares, featuring Ngakoue and Danielle Hunter. The combo turned out to be Ngakoue and Ifeadi Odenigbo, not Ngakoue and Hunter.
The Vikings’ 2020 pass rush was miserable — the worst in the NFL. The pass rusher was then traded to the Ravens in what felt like the beginning of a fire sale as the Vikings stood at 1-5 entering the 2020 bye week. The fire sale never extended beyond Ngakoue, but Minnesota emphatically threw in the towel on the high hopes for its 2020 pass rush. Instead, Odenigbo received more playing time, providing the coaching staff with intel that he was not a long-term starting asset on the defensive line. He was released in 2021.
Ngakoue played about 600 defensive snaps in 2023 for the Bears and earned a miserable 39.9 Pro Football Focus grade. He improved this season, though, logging 87 defensive snaps, a 52.1 PFF grade, and 10 quarterback pressures, along with 2 sacks.
The Patriots still employ former Vikings Vederian Lowe (OT), Tyrese Robinson (OG), Parker Romo (K), and Jaquelin Roy (DT).
Ngkaoue will turn 30 in March.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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