Steelers named as potential landing spot for Bears defensive star

With stud defensive lineman Akiem Hicks set to be a free agent this offseason, could he make his way to the Pittsburgh Steelers? 

It goes without saying, but the run defense for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season was nothing short of abysmal. This offseason, the front office will surely look to add some key guys to help things out in that department.

So, how about a veteran standout like Akiem Hicks? The defensive tackle has enjoyed some memorable seasons with the Chicago Bears, but it feels like a reunion won’t be going down between the two sides. With Hicks set to receive plenty of attention out in free agency, a move to Pittsburgh would certainly make sense. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers would be wise to try and sign Akiem Hicks

A 6-foot-4, 335-pounder, Hicks been with the Bears since 2016, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2018. This past season, he appeared in only nine games due to injury. That didn’t stop him from recording 3.5 sacks, while also adding 25 total tackles. In total, Hicks recorded 31 sacks for Chicago.

For his career with the Saints, Patriots and Bears, he’s got 40.5 sacks to his name. Now, he’ll be looking to potentially join his fourth NFL team down the road. For the Steelers, having Hicks go to war for them in the trenches would surely excite the fanbase.

The Steelers front office has a ton to focus on, as the priority will surely be in finding the right replacement for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. After 18 memorable seasons with the Steelers, Big Ben announced his retirement earlier this week.

While Pittsburgh will try and get the QB call right, there’s still plenty of other areas where this team needs to improve. This of course includes the defensive line, where Hicks really could be a big get for this defense.