University of Regina product Akiem Hicks has signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which could pay him up to $10 million according to Zac Wassink of Yardbarker on Tuesday. Hicks will be joining his fourth National Football League franchise after four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, one season with the New England Patriots and six seasons with the Chicago Bears.
Last season in Chicago, Hicks had 25 combined tackles (19 solo tackles and six assisted tackles), nine quarterback hits, five tackles for a loss, and 3.5 sacks. Primarily a defensive end, Hicks played defensive tackle in 2021. He had two sacks in the same game, a 17-9 Bears loss to the Minnesota Vikings on December 20.
For his career, Hicks, who is 32 years old, has played in 138 games in the NFL since 2012. He has 387 combined tackles (250 solo tackles and 137 assisted tackles), 73 tackles for a loss, 111 quarterback hits, nine pass deflections, six forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries for four yards, and 40.5 sacks.
Hicks’s best NFL season came with the Bears in 2018 when he was selected to the only Pro Bowl for the only time of his NFL career. He had a career high in solo tackles (41), pass deflections (five), and forced fumbles (three). One of Hicks’s most notable games came in a 16-14 Bears win over the Arizona Cardinals on September 23, 2018, as he had a season-high three quarterback hits.
