When news broke late last night that there were “rumblings in league circles“ that the Chicago Bears were open to trading defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, it left many fans in disbelief. Sure he’s 31-years old and moving him would free up $10.5 million in cap space for the 2021 season, but he’s still playing at a very high level, and he’s one of the most respected players in their locker room.
But with the salary cap dropping for the first time in the history of the cap, several teams have been forced to make unpopular decisions to get their finances in order.
The latest report from the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs is that the Bears have given Hicks permission to explore a trade.
If a trade is agreed upon it’s reported that Hicks would like a contract extension and a raise from his new team, which are two things that make a trade unlikely. Depending on how much money the Bears are looking to free up, it’s certainly possible they could release Hicks — much like they are planning to do with Kyle Fuller — but as of right now they appear to be at a comfortable place with the cap.
These tough and unpopular decisions are what happens when you allocate so much salary cap space to the defensive side of the ball after missing on the quarterback in the draft.
Keep it locked on WCG as we’re keeping tabs on all the news and rumors surrounding the Bears free agency.
