The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are turning to a new veteran for help on the defensive line.
Tampa Bay is signing former Bears and Saints defensive tackle Akiem Hicks to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday, per a source.
The one-year contract value is slightly higher than the $9 million Ndamukong Suh earned with the Buccaneers in 2021, a season in which Suh recorded six sacks and 27 tackles in 17 games.
Hicks played in just nine games last year, finishing with 3.5 sacks and 25 tackles. At his peak, Hicks recorded 8.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss for Chicago back in 2017, but he hasn't broken four sacks in any of the last three campaigns.
The Buccaneers needed a veteran capable of stepping in to play along the defensive interior and found that in Hicks. Suh, meanwhile, lingers in free agency and seems destined for a new team now that Hicks is headed for Tampa.
