Akiem Hicks was in the Pro Bowl in 2018. Many finally acknowledged the Chicago Bears defensive end as one of the best at his position in the NFL. It’s amazing how much has changed since then. Injuries shortened his 2019 season to just five games. Then last year Hicks was healthy but only managed 3.5 sacks. A significant downturn from the 7.5 he had two years prior. This has led to inevitable assumptions by many that he’s beginning to slow down at age 31.
Always the competitor, Hicks takes exception to that idea. Word quickly filtered out during mandatory minicamps that the defensive lineman was in great shape and looked like his usual self on the practice field. Yet word-of-mouth alone didn’t seem to sit well with him. Hicks wanted to send a message to everybody about where his health is at. So he posted a video on Instagram. One that shows him throwing down an emphatic dunk on a basketball court.
He coupled it with a photo, simply captioned “Year 10.”
Context is always key here. Remember that a typical basketball hoop is 10-feet high. Hicks managed to dunk on one despite being all of 330 lbs. This should serve as a reminder of how crazy athletic he is. It also shows he is healthy and not dealing with any nagging issues ahead of training camp. Something that has dogged him in the past.
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If this is a sign of things to come and the Bears might be getting the vintage version of Hicks back for 2021? Then their front seven should once again be a force despite the ongoing questions about their age.
Akiem Hicks has one big advantage this time around
One issue not enough people talked about last year was how Hicks wasn’t able to play his traditional role of defensive end as often. He was forced to sometimes play the nose tackle spot as well. This in response to the loss of Eddie Goldman who’d chosen to opt-out of 2020 due to COVID-19. Presuming Goldman returns as hoped this year, that should free up Hicks to play just one spot, easing his burden of responsibilities.
All this being said? The Bears have a tough decision to make. One must not forget they came close to trading him back in the spring due to salary cap issues. Though they managed to avoid that, it doesn’t erase the Akiem Hicks contract problem. He is going to be a free agent in 2022. Will Chicago let him walk in the name of trying to get younger on defense or will they try to secure him to some sort of short-term extension?
His play this season will determine a lot.
If he rebounds in a big way and has the kind of year he’s expecting? One can imagine the Bears will try to work something out. If he looks closer to what he has been the past two years? They may decide to bite the bullet and invest the money elsewhere. This is the unfortunate reality of dealing with older veterans in the NFL. Teams have to let go at some point. It is a matter of when they feel the player is no longer worth the price tag.