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.
