NEWSLETTER
Love is in the air at Bears camp in Bourbonnais.
When asked how long will it take for Chicago’s defense to warm up to new Defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano, Akiem Hicks delivered an explanation that hit me right in the feels.
“It’s like dating, man,” Hicks said, via the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley.
Well, that was an unexpected analogy. Go on, Mr. Hicks. Please explain.
“You can’t just rush in, you know. You got to let it grow, you got to let it mature. One day we’re probably going to have a beautiful relationship, and we’re getting to that point. So at this point, we’re just learning each other. We have a great deal of respect for everybody on that unit, right? We’ll see where it goes.”
The early days of a relationship can often be filled with wondrous dreams of what could be. Of course, not all relationships end with rings at the end. But with a foundation featuring Hicks, along with first-team All-Pros such as Khalil Mack, Eddie Jackson, and Kyle Fuller, you could see how easy it is to feel warm and fuzzy all over just thinking about the future.
Pagano has big shoes to fill in his first year running the Bears’ defense, but has acclimated himself well (and quickly). He allowed himself to get egged by some of his top players and swiftly had a Vic Fangio protégé warm up to him in his first few months on the job. All things considered, the relationship between Pagano and his defense is already in a good place.
Now, to keep the good vibes going past the honeymoon period, into the regular season, and all the way into February. If it happens, there’s a good chance everyone in Chicago will be celebrating with a ring in Miami.
