How much is Akiem Hicks worth? Bears Pro Bowl DL wants extension to retire in Chicago

Long-time Chicago Bears DT Akiem Hicks has declared he intends to retire with the team, but wants a contract extension to do so. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus (who has been busy this offseason with client contract negotiations), went to the Bears to alert them of Hicks' demands, as reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Drew Rosenhaus, agent for Bears’ Pro-Bowl DL Akiem Hicks, has approached the team regarding an extension for his client, who is entering the last year of his contract. Rosenhaus was spotted in Chicago today and said, “Akiem wants to finish his career with the Bears, if possible.”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 12, 2021

The 31-year-old DT arrived to the Chicago Bears in 2016 as a free-agent signing. He played way better than his two-year, $10 million deal was paying him and received a four-year, $48 million extension after his first season with the Bears. His teammates found him to be a leader and "heart and soul" of the locker room. Akiem Hicks has had some issues with injuries recently, including missing 11 games in 2019 with an elbow injury.

What would Akiem Hicks' value be for a new contract

Miami Reportedly Didn’t Enjoy Blocking Khalil Mack And Akiem Hicks #Bears https://t.co/2tjDz9V9Rh pic.twitter.com/EZw5MtmpcP
— Erik Lambert (@ErikLambert1) August 12, 2021

He's entering the final year of his deal and will earn $10.5 million in 2021. The Chicago Bears placed him on the trade block earlier in the offseason to shed his cap hit, but had no takers. The 2018 Pro Bowler has 27.5 sacks, 222 tackles, 46 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles as a Chicago Bear. DE Bilal Nichols is also set to become an FA player after the season, but the Bears are more willing to bring him back over Akiem Hicks. The defense is the lifeline for the Chicago Bears as they sort out the offense. They had a top-ten defense over the past three seasons: 1st in 2018, 10th in 2019, and 8th in 2020.

What is Akiem Hicks' value to the Chicago Bears at this point in his career? He's 32 and they already have Bilal Nichols (who they will likely re-sign after five sacks in 2020) and Eddie Goldman (27 years-old). 2020 7th-round pick Khyiris Tonga has seen time with the first-team in training camp and could be a pivotal player this season. Akiem Hicks is PFF's 15th-best DL and his last contract gave him $12 million on average per year. Here are some of the annual salaries of players similar to Akiem Hicks' status and age:

Brandom Graham - 32 years-old - 2020-16 games-two forced fumbles, eight sacks, 46 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 16 QB hits - $13.33 average salary in 2020
Everson Griffen - 33 years-old - 2019 - 15 games- INT, two passes defended, eight sacks, 41 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 24 QB hits - $14.5 average salary in 2019, $6 million in 2020 with new deal
Gerald McCoy - 32 years-old - 2019 - 16 games- two passes defended, five sacks, 37 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 13 QB hits - $6.1 million average salary in 2019, $1.25 million average salary in 2020 with one-year deal
Calais Campbell - 34 years-old - 2019 - 16 games- two forced fumbles, 6.5 sacks, 56 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 25 QB hits - $15 million average salary in 2019, $12.5 million in 2020 with new deal

Akiem Hicks is a damn freight train pic.twitter.com/YSTlmXuLzs
— Red Line Radio (@RedLineRadio) September 20, 2020

To compare, Akiem Hicks played in 15 games last year with 3.5 sacks, 49 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and 221 QB hits. Based on similar players' salaries and productions, Akiem Hicks should warrant around $8-9 million per year on a contract extension. The Chicago Bears don't have much cap space and don't seem likely to give him such a contract.