Now that they are out of the playoffs, we should see more from these Chicago Bears players
The Chicago Bears shut down Danny Trevathan for the season on Wednesday. He was a long shot to return, and with the team officially eliminated from playoff contention, they elected to get him to complete health, rather than having him fight through injury.
While the Bears can put together back to back winning seasons for the first time since 2006, there is not much to play for in these next two games. The Bears should be looking to see what particular players can do in different situations over the next two weeks as they prepare for an offseason that will be full of huge decisions.
With Trevathan and Roquan Smith down, we will get two more games to see what Kevin Pierre-Louis can bring, and Nick Kwiatkowski is playing for a contract. Similarly to Trevathan giving this oppurtunity to lesser-known players, the Bears should shut down these five players as well.
5. Akiem Hicks
This one seems obvious. I am sure Hicks has a ton of pride, and finishing this season is a personal goal that he intends to accomplish. Heck, he practiced in full without an injury designation this week. Still, the fact of the matter is that if Hicks does need to suit up, we do not need to see a full game from him.
We know exactly what the team has in Hicks. What they need the most out of him, is a healthy 2020. A re-injury may be unlikely, but he is stepping on the field for a violent game. Any hindrance that would drag into the offseason from him would be brutal.
Hicks returned after an injury against Green Bay, but we all felt a moment of disbelief as Hicks laid on the field grimacing last week. He is an ironman, no one is doubting him. He is a star player, no is questioning his role.
It is time to see what Bilal Nichols and Nick Williams can do for one more game, while the team keeps Hicks healthy.