Bears DL Akiem Hicks leaves with groin injury

Bears defensive lineman Akiem Hicks injured his groin on the Lions’ first play Sunday and was taken to the locker room. At the start of the second half, the Bears ruled him out for the game.

Hicks landed awkwardly while trying to make a tackle with the Bears leading the Lions 7-0 at Soldier Field. He stood on the sideline without a helmet for most of the Lions’ first drive.

In the final year of his contract, Hicks has been his usual disruptive self on the defensive line this season, registering four quarterback hits and 0.5 sacks through the first three games.

Unlike earlier this season, though, the Bears have reinforcements. Nose tackle Eddie Goldman returned Sunday to play his first regular-season game since December 2019; he sat out last year with coronavirus concerns and then missed the first three games with a knee injury. Defensive end Mario Edwards returned last week after serving a two-game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy last year.