Akiem Hicks, DE
I know, I know. You hate me for even bringing Akiem Hicks up in this list. The problem is, Hicks could find his way out the door after 2020. This again all hinges on the idea that the NFL loses a great deal of revenue this year. Recently the NFL owners approved a deal to allow for advertisements to be placed over the bottom rows of their respective stadiums. The hope is that the advertisements will help offset the revenue loss from less to no fans in the stadium.
No one will deny how great Hicks has been for the Chicago Bears. Outside of last season when he missed multiple games due to injuries, Hicks has been a dominant presence on the defensive line. With him on the line, it limits the amount of double and triple teams Khalil Mack will see. When Hicks was injured and missing, Mack’s production fell off because of these blocking schemes. The hope is all of that changes as Hicks remains healthy in 2020.
Since joining the Chicago Bears in 2016, Hicks has recorded 7, 8.5 and 7.5 sacks. Last season he only recorded one in five games. The Bears defense needs Hicks to remain healthy and productive, but he will also be 31 years old in 2021. When it comes to money, Hicks is due $12 million in 2021 but only has a dead cap hit of $1.5 million. With over $10 million in cap savings it will be hard to justify retaining Hicks should the team need to make serious cuts due to the pandemic.