Akiem Hicks can take the first step in his return from a left elbow injury by practicing with the team Sunday.
“We’re hoping that he’s able to come back this week and start practicing,” coach Matt Nagy said Friday. “So that’s kind of the goal.”
Nagy was asked whether Hicks’ elbow could make it through a full practice.
“That, I don’t know,” he said. “I guess we’ll see.”
The Pro Bowl defensive lineman is eligible to practice, starting Sunday, but can’t return to game action until Week 15 against the Packers. Hicks dislocated his left elbow against the Raiders on Oct. 6, and the Bears put him on injured reserve Oct. 15.
Hicks sat out of the Bears’ fourth game with a knee injury. He returned the following week — but left in the first quarter when his left elbow, pinned between teammate Khalil Mack’s helmet and running back Josh Jacobs, bent in the wrong direction.
Hicks’ return makes sense as long as the Bears are mathematically alive for a long-shot playoff chance.
“It’d be huge,” Nagy said. “Any time you have a guy that is the type of player he is, the type of leader he is, what he’s meant. I like the way he’s handled himself here in the last, whatever it is, seven or eight weeks. He’s done a great job at being around and being a great teammate and a leader and mentor to all these younger guys.
“It’s exciting when you get to this point. It does feel like forever ago, but hopefully we can get that moving forward.”
