Akiem Hicks still looks like the disruptive force he’s been for years with the Chicago Bears. However, he is getting older. Sooner or later, his productivity will start to dip. The team has to always think about the future. To that end, GM Ryan Pace has continued to add interesting defensive linemen to the rotation. Bilal Nichols is one that has a lot of people excited. So what about the new arrival Khyiris Tonga?
The Bears selected him in the 7th round of the draft this past April. Tonga was a nose tackle at BYU and enjoyed a productive career with the program. Under normal circumstances, he probably would’ve gone higher. Already being 24-years old though? Teams weren’t going to invest high picks in him. Hicks though believes that may have ended up working in the Bears’ favor. He has fast become a big fan of the rookie.
“Box Built” Tonga. Has a nice ring to it.
The situation with him is fascinating. Under normal circumstances, there was no way Tonga was going to play much this season. Not with Eddie Goldman expected to return after taking 2020 off due to the pandemic. However, things began to change in August. Goldman wasn’t practicing much and didn’t play almost at all in the preseason. Tonga got those reps instead and looked surprisingly good.
Then Goldman suffered a knee injury that has kept him out for the first three games. After playing only a handful of snaps in Weeks 1 and 2, the Bears turned him loose in Cleveland. Tonga didn’t look out of place, making five stops for limited or no gain. He also flashed some juice in the pass rush despite his considerable size. It is easy to see why Akiem Hicks is impressed. From the sound of it, the work ethic is there as well.
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Akiem Hicks no doubt wonders what his own future might be
Tonga is on a nice trajectory so far. If he keeps playing this way, he’ll carve out a role on this team before too long. Especially if Goldman ends up retiring as many continue to speculate. That would open the door nicely for the young nose tackle to seize the job. That will be a story worth monitoring. There is another one though that will become a talking point soon.
Whether Akiem Hicks stays in Chicago himself. He is playing out the last year of his contract. As of right now, he will be a free agent in 2022. The 31-year old has made it known he wishes to return and finish out his career with the Bears. While that would be a nice story, it’s hard to say if the finances will make sense. This team has a lot of money tied up in older players. They have to start thinking about cleaning up the books.
That could mean letting older vets like him walk.
So it will depend on what sort of money Hicks is looking for. If he seeks something close to what he has made the past few years? That may not work for the Bears. Still, that is something to worry about months from now. For the time being, fans should enjoy watching him and Tonga continue to work.
