Chicago Bears: Akiem Hicks looking to finish award-worthy season
Chicago Bears defensive lineman Akiem Hicks had a monster first half of 2017. If he continues in the second half, he may end up with an award on his mantle.
Chicago Bears defensive lineman Akiem Hicks played for some very good teams prior to arriving in the Windy City. The New Orleans Saints drafted him in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. The Saints traded him in 2015 to the New England Patriots. The Patriots decided not to re-sign him, so he became a free agent.
Then the Bears came calling. Perhaps the market wasn’t as good for Hicks as he thought. He signed a 2-year contract with Chicago. That move was one of his and Bears general manager Ryan Pace’s best. The Chicago Bears weren’t a very good team, so going there wasn’t what Hicks expected. However, he made the best of it and ended helping make the defense better.
Hicks flourished in his first season. He recorded 54 tackles and seven sacks. As a result of that play, the Bears rewarded him with a new four-year, $48 million ($22 million guaranteed) contract at the start of this season. Again, a great move.
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In the first half of this season, Hicks has 26 tackles. Also, he already matched his sack total of seven. He’s been both the on-field leader and a vocal leader for the team. After an embarrassing loss to the Green Bay Packers, Hicks expressed the frustration the team and the fans had (per the Chicago Tribune):
"I will say this: there’s going to be some conversation that needs to be had. Or actually maybe it should be a little less talking and just putting stuff together that we need to put together…Hopefully the changes we need to make, we make those changes."
The Bears made the change at quarterback and played much better football since.
A big part of the reason for that is the defense, and Hicks is a big part of the defense. He’s the anchor of the defense, wreaking havoc on opposing offenses. His sack total has him ranked 10th in the league. He is the epitome of the “Monsters of the Midway” persona people have of a Bears defensive player.
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If Hicks continues his play, he may end up with some hardware for his mantle. He should be in the conversation for plenty of awards. Also, his continued great play could bring the Bears a handful of victories.