Akiem Hicks extension: Drew Rosenhaus approaches team, says star DT 'wants to finish his career with Bears'

Hicks is headed into the final season of his current contract

Over the last several years, what success the Chicago Bears have had has largely been driven by their defense. Under Vic Fangio and then Chuck Pagano, the Bears have held opponents to few enough points that the team could overcome an offense that has largely been below average, and at times considerably so. 

One of the most important players on that defense has been defensive tackle Akiem Hicks. With the exception of the 2019 season (during which he played only five games), Hicks has bee a high-level contributor for the entirety of his tenure in Chicago. He arrived in 2016 and has totaled 27.5 sacks, 46 tackles for loss, and 79 quarterback hits in 68 regular-season games, helping the Bears jump from 31st in defensive efficiency (per Football Outsiders' DVOA) the season before his arrival to a consistent top 10 unit over the last three seasons, during which they've ranked first, 10th, and eighth. 

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Hicks is now headed into his age-32 season, as well as the final season of his contract. And after bouncing back from his injury-plagued 2019 campaign, he wants a new deal that will keep him in Chicago for the rest of his career. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has approached the Bears about an extension. 

"Akiem wants to finish his career with the Bears, if possible," Rosenhaus said, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Hicks is set to count against Chicago's books for $12 million during the 2021 season, though only $1.5 million is guaranteed. (It's the prorated portion of his signing bonus.) The market for interior defensive linemen has certainly gotten friendlier in the time since Hicks signed his deal, though he is now likely past his physical prime rather than heading into it. The Bears are likely to transition to the Justin Fields era sooner rather than later, and it'll be interesting to see how they handle the contract situations of the high-priced defensive veterans who drove so much of the previous version of the team's success.