Seahawks: 3 Bears that could follow Sean Desai to Seattle

Akiem Hicks

Seattle didn’t get much from its overall pass rush in 2021 until very late in the season. Defensive end Carlos Dunlap finished with 8.5 sacks to lead the team but 7 of those came in the final four weeks of the year. One thing that would help Dunlap (and all the outside rushers) in 2022would be a player who can chase down quarterbacks from the inside. Poona Ford is a very good defensive tackle but led Seattle’s DTs in sacks last year but only had 2.

This is where Akiem Hicks comes in. Yes, he is aging and in two of the last three seasons he hasn’t been fully healthy but Hicks is still capable of being a great disruptor. In just 9 games this past season, Hicks had 3.5 sacks and 9 quarterback hits. In 2020, he had 21 quarterback hits. In the last two seasons combined, he has 68 quarterback pressures.

Hicks, due to his age and recent injury history, might only command at most $7 million if he signs a one-year deal for 2022. Seattle won’t offer him that much probably, but if Hicks wants to play with someone he is familiar with then Desai’s presence might be enough to get Hicks to Seattle for around $6 million.

Hicks isn’t going to lead the Seahawks in sacks in 2022 (unless something has gone terribly wrong) but his presence along the interior of the defensive line should draw enough attention to let the edge rushers do their thing. Hicks’ signing would help the defense overall.