The New York Giants are set to bring in veteran edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue for a workout on Monday, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
The 31-year-old former Pro Bowl defensive end, who has accumulated 70.5 career sacks across nine NFL seasons, sat out the entire 2025 campaign to complete his recovery from a broken ankle sustained late in the 2023 season with the Chicago Bears.
He is now fully healthy and actively seeking a return to the league after a limited 2024 showing split between the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots.
Ngakoue’s résumé includes a standout 2017 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars in which he recorded 12 sacks and led the league in forced fumbles, earning his lone Pro Bowl selection as an injury replacement.
Drafted in the third round out of Maryland in 2016, he spent the bulk of his early career as a productive pass rusher for the Jaguars before moving through several other organizations, including the Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, and Indianapolis Colts.
His production has fluctuated in recent years as he has bounced between teams and dealt with the lingering effects of the ankle injury that ultimately prompted him to take a full season off.
For the Giants, the timing of the workout aligns with a clear need for additional edge depth.
Star pass rusher Brian Burns suffered a season-ending torn ACL in late September, forcing the team to lean more heavily on Kayvon Thibodeaux and second-year standout Abdul Carter.
Thibodeaux, the former first-round pick, has yet to record a sack through the early portion of the 2026 season and has drawn criticism for limited production opposite Carter.
The Giants have also dealt with other defensive line availability issues, leaving the pass rush thinner than the coaching staff would prefer under head coach John Harbaugh.
Ngakoue has previously signaled openness to joining the Giants and maintains a prior relationship with Harbaugh from his time in Baltimore.
While a workout does not guarantee a signing, it gives New York a low-risk opportunity to evaluate whether the veteran still possesses the burst and technique that defined his earlier years.
At this stage of his career, Ngakoue would likely be viewed as a rotational piece or situational pass rusher rather than a full-time starter, potentially providing experienced depth while the Giants manage injuries and develop their younger edge talent.
How he performs in the workout will determine whether the interest turns into a contract.
