The Bears will bring back one of their top players for Week 15’s pivotal game against the Packers. Akiem Hicks is officially back on Chicago’s 53-man roster after spending eight weeks on IR.
Hicks has not played since the Bears’ Week 5 game, but the team did not place the Pro Bowl defensive end on IR until before its Week 7 contest. To make room on their 53-man roster, the Bears placed tight end Ben Braunecker on IR. Braunecker’s season will end because of a concussion.
Despite the Bears sitting at 4-6 in a high-caliber NFC playoff race in mid-November, Matt Nagy refused to shut down Hicks. The fourth-year Bear returned to practice less than two weeks ago and is set to return to his starting role — for a 7-6 Bears team — Sunday.
A former Saints third-round pick who’s emerged as one of the game’s top interior defensive linemen, Hicks was a key reason for the Bears’ defensive ascent last season. He registered at least seven sacks in each of the past three seasons, combining for 36 tackles for loss in that span as well. The 30-year-old lineman will obviously not run that streak to four but will stand to help the Bears in what is essentially a must-win game in Green Bay.
BIG GAME SUNDAY
I’ll be there, can’t wait. BEAR DOWN
200th meeting but I’m not real optimistic about the Bears chances since they haven’t won a Sunday game in Green Bay since 2007.
Bears won in Green Bay as recently as 2015 lemons for brains
note that I specified Sunday. The 2015 win occurred on a Thursday.
What about 2013
Monday game Mitch. Bears have lost the last 6 (make that 7 now) Sunday games in Green Bay.
Go Bears!