Bears rule out DT Akiem Hicks (groin) vs. Buccaneers

The Bears hoped defensive tackle Akiem Hicks would be able to play through his groin injury again, but ruled him out Saturday for their game against the Buccaneers.

It will be the second missed game this season for Hicks, who has 1.5 sacks and 11 tackles. He played just 41% of the snaps last week against the Packers, when he had a sack.

Hicks, 31, has been very durable since joining the Bears in 2016. Other than missing 10 games with a dislocated elbow in 2019, he has played 73 of a possible 76 games.

While the defensive line is one of the Bears’ deepest positions, Hicks’ absence will hurt. They’re also uncertain about Bilal Nichols, who was out of practice Thursday and Friday with a knee injury.

The Bears flexed defensive tackle Margus Hunt from their practice squad to the active roster to fill Hicks’ spot. They also added offensive lineman Dieter Eiselen and activated running back Damien Williams from the reserve/COVID-19 list.