5 Chicago Bears impacted most by Akiem Hicks injury

The Chicago Bears losing Akiem Hicks to injury is devastating. Who are five players who will be impacted most by his loss?

The news of Chicago Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks going on the IR is devastating. Hicks is one of the best players in the NFL at his position, and not many players are better than him on the entire roster. Surviving the rest of the season without him will be crucial.

Of course, the next man up mentality has to be applied. No one is going to feel bad for the Bears, and the depth will be called upon. Still, Hicks presence on the field impacts more than just his position. He helps open up others with good matchups on defense.

Who are five players that will be impacted the most by the loss of Hicks?

5. Roy Robertson-Harris

Robertson-Harris has been playing for a contract this year. So far, he has lived up to the big year and has earned himself a decent chunk of change on the open market. Being a depth player on the Bears obvious was going to hinder his production, but he was making the most of limited snaps.

Now, Roy Robertson-Harris has a chance to make serious money with a strong end to his season. Bilal Nichols is still banged up and will be eased into replacing Hicks. However, with Hicks out, the starter on Sunday is going to be RRH. He is going to play almost every snap on Sunday and arguably will play more than Eddie Goldman due to his pass-rush ability.

If Robertson-Harris dominates starter type snaps, a team is going to pay him to be a legitimate starter for them next season. This would help keep the Bears defense running as if nobody was lost. However, on the other end, we could learn that Roberston-Harris is great in small doses, but does not have the size to grind out full games. Robertson-Harris wearing down with more snaps will show his NFL ceiling is capped, but will also spread the Bears even thinner.