Former Chiefs draft pick quietly wrecks Vikings in Bears debut

Tanoh Kpassagnon was a late offseason arrival for the Chicago Bears. The veteran defensive end didn't sign until the start of training camp, which is typically a sign that a player is only around to serve as a camp body or to aid a roster at a position beset by injuries.

As it turns out, Kpassagnon might be sticking around for a while in the Windy City.

The Bears faced the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football to start their season, and while it wasn't the start to Ben Johnson's head coaching career that Chicago fans were anticipating, it was a nice showing for Kpassagnon all the same.

A former second-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs, Kpassagnon spent nearly the entire offseason as an available free agent. It's entirely possible that the Villanova product was okay waiting until the eleventh hour to avoid offseason training activities, but that's also a risky proposition, knowing that interested teams could move on to other players.

That's quite an unexpected Bears debut for Tanoh Kpassagnon.

With the Bears, Kpassagnon was released before active roster cuts were due, but the eight-year vet accepted a role on the practice squad. He was then promoted before the game and came through with two quarterback hits and one sack on J.J. McCarthy, who was handed the starting QB role following the departure of Sam Darnold in free agency.

Kpassagnon was the Chiefs selection at No. 59 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft, sandwiched between quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the first round and running back Kareem Hunt in the second. The leap in competition from Villanova worked against him, but the Chiefs liked his blend of rare length, strength, and athleticism.

The Chiefs allowed Kpassagnon to leave in free agency after his rookie deal expired, with just seven sacks to show for his efforts in four seasons, but the New Orleans Saints decided to sign him in free agency. He'd spent four more years in Louisiana, and Kpassagnon was a bit more productive in those years.

It's no surprise that he could step right in with the Bears' defense, considering that Kpassagnon played for current Chicago defensive coordinator Dennis Allen during his tenure as Saints head coach.

Through his first eight years in the NFL. Kpassagnon had 42 QB hits and 16.5 sacks in 105 games. He's already added to those totals in his first game with the Bears, and it will be interesting to see if he earns a greater amount of reps going forward.