The Chicago Bears made a tough decision on Tuesday, placing one of their top defensive players on the injured reserve list in a move that will ensure that he’ll miss the majority of the season.
The defensive tackle suffered a left elbow injury in Chicago’s Week 5 clash against the Oakland Raiders and was immediately placed under evaluation by the team’s medical staff.
After determining that he needs a long time to recover from the injury, the team made a move that will ensure that he will miss at least the next eight games of action.
Hicks was named a Pro Bowler last season and is considered one of the league’s top interior defensive linemen. He anchored the Bears’ line last season, posting 55 total tackles and 7.5 sacks in a breakout year.
The 29-year-old signed a 4-year, $48 million extension with the team in 2017 after joining the Bears in 2016.
Now, Hicks will have to wait until Week 15 against the Green Bay Packers if he is to return to action this season. It’s the second week in a row that the Bears have been forced to place a key player on IR after moving Kyle Long to the list last week.
The Bears, who are 3-2 and fighting for playoff contention, will surely miss their line’s anchor down the stretch.
