While last week marked the bitter end of the Bears’ playoff hopes with a deflating 21-13 loss to the Packers, there was a silver lining in the heartbreak: The return of defensive tackle Akiem Hicks.
Hicks was activated off injured reserve on Saturday and started Sunday against Green Bay, where he fought through the pain of his re-aggravated elbow injury. More than that, his impact was felt on the field, even as he essentially played with one arm.
Now that Bears have been eliminated from playoff contention, it’s fair to believe that shutting down Hicks for the season would be what’s best. Ultimately, that’s for the Bears to decide. But if you ask Hicks, he’s determined to finish out the rest of this season with his teammates.
“It’s about the boys, man,” Hicks said Tuesday. “It’s about being out there with your guys. I love competition. I love competition. I love riding with my guys.
“You would laugh to imagine some of the things that guys play through in this league. There isn’t a week that I can remember where my body felt 100 percent. It’s kind of customary. You’re used to playing through injury.”
With the Bears eliminated from playoff contention, Hicks acknowledged that it “changes perspective” a bit. While Hicks could wind up suiting up Sunday night against the Chiefs, he could also realistically end up on injured reserve.
“There’s no decisions made,” Hicks said. “I’m brought here to play football, so when my number is called, that’s what I do. What comes after that, we don’t know. We’ll see going forward.”
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