It has been a frustrating plunge for the Bears the past four seasons, and few players have been hit harder by it than defensive tackle Akiem Hicks.
“So sad, so sad… because I’d do anything for them,” he said as he considered how far they’ve fallen. “But that’s the way it goes.”
Think back to 2018, when Hicks was at the center of the Bears’ glorious run to the playoffs. He ran for a goal-line touchdown on the lone carry of his 10-year career and lined up in the backfield as a jolly decoy as part of “Santa’s Sleigh.”
He rolled into Bourbonnais the next summer wearing a Shaquille O’Neal Lakers jersey as he took questions about whether he could help lead Bears to the Super Bowl. Two weeks into that season, before everything crashed, Hicks never broke character as he hammed it up in a cowboy hat for NBC’s Mike Berman and roared, “Woooooo. Hot darn it, we got it done,” after a late escape against the Broncos.
So much fun. So long ago.
Hicks has endured various injuries, a mountain of losses and fruitless discussions with the team about a contract extension since then. He’s probably in his final weeks as a Bear, and it was prevalent in his mind Monday during the 17-9 loss to the Vikings.
“I don’t know what’s gonna happen,” he said. “I just know… if I do end up leaving, I’ll miss it here. I truly love my time [here].”
Hicks and the Bears were a perfect match when he signed in 2016. He re-launched his career and grew into a star, which gave general manager Ryan Pace a pillar for one of the best defenses in recent NFL history.
Along the way, Hicks became one of the most beloved Chicago athletes. His dominance and exuberance on the field, along with his vibrant personality, endeared him to Bears fans.
And Monday, after the first of his two sacks on Kirk Cousins, he pointed all around Soldier Field to make sure they knew the feeling was mutual.
“I was pointing to the people that cheer for me, the people that love me, the people that love how I play the game… letting them know I appreciate them,” Hicks said. “They’re always yelling my name. I wanted to show some love back.”
Hicks thought it could be his farewell, though the Bears still have a Jan. 2 home game against the Giants. While he’s expected to play it out, Hicks knows as well as anyone that nothing is guaranteed.
At 32, he has still been excellent when healthy — and even when he’s not fully healthy, still pretty good. But he missed 11 games (mostly with a dislocated elbow that he came back from early just to play against the Packers) in 2019 and was out another six this season.
But when he’s out there, as he showed Monday, he’s as feared as any defensive lineman in the NFL.
“He’s done that his entire time here in Chicago,” coach Matt Nagy said.
That’s exactly the kind of compliment that matters to Hicks. He thinks a lot about his legacy with the Bears and has been pursuing a place in their history.
There came a point in his post-game press conference when he was asked about it. That’s how clear it was that this is probably the end for him and the Bears. He wondered humbly whether he’d earned a spot among the greats.
“Whenever I talk to the guys that came before me, just for them to say that they appreciate my game is enough for me,” Hicks said. “That’s who you’re looking to impress. They played it, they lived it. Talking to those guys — Tommie Harris, Dan Hampton, Richard Dent… It’s exciting [that they] even watch me play.
“So I’m happy.”
Hopefully that happiness continues for Hicks by getting a chance to win elsewhere before he’s done.
