The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have landed veteran defensive tackle Akiem Hicks. According to multiple reports, Hicks inked a one-year deal with the 2020 Super Bowl champs. He is set to earn $10 million this season.

Hicks spent the previous six seasons with the Chicago Bears. He played nine games and only had 3.5 sacks in 2021, a result of struggles with ankle injuries.

Hicks joins an already scary Bucs’ defensive front that has Pro Bowler Vita Vea and 2022’s second-round selection Logan Hall. He will most likely step into the role of Ndamukong Suh, who served as a veteran presence on Tampa Bay’s defensive line in the past three years. Suh became a free agent in March, and the Bucs entertained the possibility of keeping him for 2022, but that isn’t expected to be an option anymore.

Akiem Hicks entered the league as a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and has played for the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots early in his career. However, his best performances came with the Chicago Bears. Hicks’ stint with Chicago included a Pro Bowl nod in 2018, while he also got named one of the 100 greatest Bears of All-Time.

Hicks has 40.5 career sacks to go with 387 tackles, nine pass deflections, six forced fumbles, and one defensive touchdown.

The post Veteran DT Akiem Hicks Joins the Bucs on a 1-Year, $10 Million Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

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.

The post Bears DT Akiem Hicks Heads to IR With Elbow Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have landed veteran defensive tackle Akiem Hicks. According to multiple reports, Hicks inked a one-year deal with the 2020 Super Bowl champs. He is set to earn $10 million this season.

Hicks spent the previous six seasons with the Chicago Bears. He played nine games and only had 3.5 sacks in 2021, a result of struggles with ankle injuries.

Hicks joins an already scary Bucs’ defensive front that has Pro Bowler Vita Vea and 2022’s second-round selection Logan Hall. He will most likely step into the role of Ndamukong Suh, who served as a veteran presence on Tampa Bay’s defensive line in the past three years. Suh became a free agent in March, and the Bucs entertained the possibility of keeping him for 2022, but that isn’t expected to be an option anymore.

Akiem Hicks entered the league as a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and has played for the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots early in his career. However, his best performances came with the Chicago Bears. Hicks’ stint with Chicago included a Pro Bowl nod in 2018, while he also got named one of the 100 greatest Bears of All-Time.

Hicks has 40.5 career sacks to go with 387 tackles, nine pass deflections, six forced fumbles, and one defensive touchdown.

The post Veteran DT Akiem Hicks Joins the Bucs on a 1-Year, $10 Million Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

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.

The post Bears DT Akiem Hicks Heads to IR With Elbow Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.