Bear Digest

System Experience Means More for the Next Bears Safety Up

Simone Biles' husband Jonathan Owens is not the likely next Bears safety up because Elijah Hicks' experience makes him a strong candidate to replace injured Jaquan Brisker.

Gene Chamberlain

Elijah Hicks (22) goes through stretching alongside Jaquan Brisker in training camp. It appears Hicks is the likely replacement for Brisker due to a concussion.
Elijah Hicks (22) goes through stretching alongside Jaquan Brisker in training camp. It appears Hicks is the likely replacement for Brisker due to a concussion. / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
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The loss of Jaquan Brisker did not lead to the player taking over his safety role many may have expected.

Reserve safety Jonathan Owens had all the publicity with his wife being Simone Biles, and was prominently featured on HBO's Hard Knocks. However, Bears coach Matt Eberflus has decided another safety will step in for Brisker, who is out due to his third concussion in three seasons.

It's third-year safety Elijah Hicks, their 2022 seventh-round draft pick. 

"Elijah has done a really good job for us in the past," coach Matt Eberflus told reporters in London. "He's been in our system, so we trust him, know him and he knows the system well. So he's excited about the opportunity."

Hicks was called upon to make eight starts over his first two seasons and he had 168 defensive plays as a rookie, then 487 last year due to injuries to Brisker and to former Bears safety Eddie Jackson.

He hasn't had great success in terms of analytical statistics. Stathead/Pro Football Reference had his passer rating against as a rookie at 158.3, which is the worst possible rating. It was on a very small sample size of seven pass attempts defended that season. He lowered the rating against to 124.8 last year when he had more playing time, and his completion percentage allowed dropped from 85.7% to 63.2% (12 of 19).

"I think sometimes when you're a rookie you're a little bit hurried, you're a little bit ahead of it in terms of your RPMs going too fast," Eberflus said. "And I think he's got his body under control, understands leverage points, and understands how to really do a good job with leverage points on the back end of it."

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Eberflus has confidence in Hicks' experience within the scheme.

"Just the continuity, him understanding working with the other players and him having time on task and the exposure and experience that he's gotten over the last 2 1/2 years," Eberflus explained. "And I think that he really knows it.

"And I'm really starting to see him focusing in on good technique, good fundamentals."

Owens and Hicks both have been on the field for nine defensive plays this year.

Owens signed a two-year, $4.75 million deal in free agency with the Bears after playing one season in Green Bay. Owens has started 30 NFL games, 19 over his first four seasons with Houston before he started 11 last year for the Packers.

The Bears also have safety Tarvarius Moore, who could be elevated from their practice squad if they need extra depth for Sunday.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.