When Jordan Hicks suffered a strange leg injury late in the season that side lined him for four
weeks, the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings got a preview of what his team would
look like without the experienced line backer.
“To put it bluntly, it’s a big loss,” Flores remarked on November 14 following Hicks’ hospitalisation
due to compartment limb syndrome, which almost resulted in the amputation of his right leg.
Hicks, who is regarded as the centre of the Vikings defence and the primary messenger for
defensive play calls, returned to action in December and is expected to draw interest from multiple
teams this offseason in free agency after putting up a strong 2023 campaign.
Hicks, in the opinion of Darren Wolfson of KSTP, is probably headed out of Minnesota.
On a January 18 episode of SKOR North’s “Mackey and Judd” podcast, Wolfson said, “Good dude,
beloved in that locker room, but we now know that Ivan Pace Jr. is fully capable of being the
communicator, having that green dot, that Ivan Pace Jr. can play a lot of snaps so I just don’t see
where you spend the money.” “They simply have so much to learn; I fail to see the logic in re-
signing Jordan Hicks.”
Although Wolfson anticipated that the Vikings would let go of Hicks because they had more
important things to do than the seasoned line backer, Hicks’ expected free agency salary might be
manageable in Minnesota.
Pro Football Focus (PFF) projected that Hicks, who turns 32 in June, will sign a $4 million, one-
year contract. Hicks, who has made $40 million in his career, may be ready to accept less than the
$4 million cap charge he would have to pay for the 2024 season, which would place him thirty-first
among inside line backers.
“Through Week 10, Hicks was enjoying his best season in five years; however, a frightening injury
necessitated a trip to the hospital and a prolonged break from football. He did make a comeback in
Week 16. Despite a very high volume of defensive stops and total tackles over the previous five
years, Hicks moves well from north to south and is a potent tackler who seldom misses many
opportunities, according to PFF’s free-agent assessment. “At this point in his career, he has some
limitations in coverage, with average horizontal stop-and-start ability, but Hicks is a tone-setter
over the middle who makes a tonne of plays every week.”
Even though Pace has shown that he is a starting line backer, the Vikings still need to see more
from Brian Asamoah before allowing Pace to on the field.
While the general consensus was that Asamoah lost his starting position to the undrafted Pace,
Wolfson revealed that the player had been battling with a shoulder issue since training camp.
With Asamoah set to reclaim the starting role alongside Pace, the Vikings might be alright.
Nonetheless, Hicks leads with experience and is still dependable in clear running scenarios.
Ivan Pace Jr., Brian Asamoah, and Hicks in rotation might provide the Vikings with three reliable
alternatives at linebacker in the 2018 campaign.
“There are so many positive things to say about him. He is a leader. He exudes presence. Flores told
Vikings.com, “He’s really got command of the defence and understanding of what we’re trying to do
and why we’re trying to do it.” “The game is important to him. He takes his responsibility to do
things right and correctly seriously, but he also enjoys playing football.
Get more related update on…sportupdates.co.uk
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