Yannick Ngakoue‘s season has come to an end. Mike Chappell of FOX59/CBS4 Sports in Indy reports (via Twitter) that the Colts have placed the defensive end on injured reserve.
Per Zak Keefer of The Athletic (on Twitter), Ngakoue suffered a throat injury during Monday’s loss to the Chargers. The defensive lineman practiced this week, but after feeling some pain, he met with the team doctor. It was ultimately determined the player will have to undergo a “procedure.”
Ngakoue has bounced around the NFL in recent years, spending time with the Jaguars, Vikings, Ravens, Raiders, and Colts since the 2019 season. He was traded from Las Vegas to Indy this past offseason for cornerback Rock Ya-Sin and proceeded to start all 15 of his appearances for his new team. The 27-year-old finished his season with 9.5 sacks and 16 QB hits. Despite the solid numbers, Pro Football Focus only ranked Ngakoue 109th among 121 qualifying edge defenders. The defensive end is set to hit free agency following this season.
Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo soak up plenty of DE snaps in Indy, but someone like Ben Banogu or Khalid Kareem could see more snaps with Ngakoue out of the lineup. The Colts also signed defense end Kameron Cline to the active roster today (per the team’s Twitter).
