NEWSLETTER
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire … but there hadn’t been much of anything regarding a potential contract extension for Chicago Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks in recent weeks.
That just changed:
Bears signing DE Akiem Hicks to a four-year, $48M extension that includes $30M gtd, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 9, 2017
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Hicks and the Bears have agreed to a four-year extension worth $48 million, which includes $30 million guaranteed. The $48 million total value is the sixth highest among 3-4 defensive ends and the $30 million in guarantees is the third highest at his position, according to Over The Cap. With this deal, the Bears lock up Hicks for the remainder of his prime years starting with his age 28 season.
Earlier in the offseason, we explored what a possible extension would look like and tried to view it through the lens of some other recent extensions to similar players. And on the surface, this seems like a deal both sides can be happy with – especially the Bears, who keep Hicks from reaching free agency.
The Bears signed hicks to a modest two-year deal worth $10 million before the 2016 season, and all Hicks did in his first season was post a Pro Bowl caliber campaign. Hicks started all 16 games last year, bringing down a career best seven sacks to go along with two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Pro Football Focus graded Hicks to be the 12th best interior defender in 2016, handing out an 85.6 grade to the man who played the most snaps of any member of the Bears’ front seven last year.
It’s been a busy offseason for Hicks, who dumped his first agent in June, hired super-agent Drew Rosenhaus in July, and said all the right things along the way about wanting to stay and possibly even finish his career in Chicago. With a four-year extension in tow, Hicks is well on his way to doing just that.
