The Chicago Bears lost an important defensive starter for at least the next eight weeks when they placed defensive tackle Akiem Hicks on injured reserve.
Hicks, who had missed Week 4 with a knee injury, returned against the Raiders in Week 5 only to dislocate his elbow, which Bears coach Matt Nagy called a “significant injury.”
But unlike right guard Kyle Long, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve Monday, Hicks has the potential to return this season. But it’s not a definite.
“There is a chance, but there’s a chance he doesn’t,” Nagy said, via the Sun-Times. “We’ve just got to figure out here as we go throughout the weeks exactly how things fit.”
Luckily Hicks won’t require surgery, per Nagy, and he’ll be eligible to return for the final three games of the regular season starting in Week 15 against the Green Bay Packers. If Hicks is good to go, he can start practicing two weeks prior to that.
When you lose a player like Hicks, it’s a huge blow. But the rest of the Bears’ Super Bowl-caliber defense is going to have to rise to the challenge, which they have proven that they’re capable of doing.
