As we move along in our all-time jersey number countdown to the start of the Chiefs’ 2020 campaign against the Houston Texans on September 10, we move down to number 98 and look back at a defensive end that started his career as an undrafted free agent and retired as the fifth-best pass rusher in Chiefs franchise history with 44.5 sacks.
Now just 98 days until the start of the 2020 NFL season, we look back at the career of former Chiefs defensive end Eric Hicks.
Eric Hicks 1998 – 2006
Eric Hicks began his NFL journey as an undrafted free agent out of Maryland and was the only rookie free agent to make the Chiefs’ opening day roster in 1998. By the following season, Hicks became the team’s starter at left defensive end and made 38 tackles (28 solo), 10 assists, five tackles for loss, and four sacks.
Since then, Hicks never left the starting lineup for Kansas City going into the new decade. In 2000, the 24-year-old Hicks reached a career-high 14.0 sacks and became the fourth player in Chiefs history to ever reach the 14-sack mark in a single season.
Hicks also set career highs in 2001 with 54 tackles (45 solo), 9 assists, 6 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks, and in 2002, he accumulated 55 combined tackles (41 solo), 14 assists, 9 tackles for loss and 9 sacks.
During the 2003 campaign, Hicks continued to prove his worth as a reliable tackler with 49 tackles (37 solo), 12 assists, five tackles for loss, and five sacks. Following a 13-3 finish, Hicks made four tackles in his lone postseason start against the Indianapolis Colts in the 2003-04 AFC Divisional round.
His strong play in ‘03 earned him a six-year contract extension from the Chiefs entering the 2004 season and he repaid the team with another strong campaign of 31 tackles (25 solo) six assists, eight tackles for loss, and five sacks.
In 2005, he followed up his ‘04 totals with 44 tackles (36 solo), eight assists, six tackles for loss, and four sacks.
However, following the retirement of head coach Dick Vermeil, Hicks fell victim to a new heading coaching regime of Herman Edwards in 2006 and lost his starting job at defensive end to rookie Tamba Hali and fell into a relief role on the defensive line. This, of course, caused his production to plummet despite playing all 16 games and by the 2007 off-season, he became a cap casualty and was released in May of that year.
Hicks’ release caps his tenure in Kansas City to nine seasons where he accumulated 324 tackles (251 solo), 73 assists, 55 tackles for loss, and 44.5 sacks.
In 2007, he was picked up by the New York Jets but despite playing 11 games, only made 17 tackles and was cut at the end of the season.
