Andrew Billings’ injury likely presents an opportunity for Chicago Bears DT Zacch Pickens

LAKE FOREST – Chicago Bears defensive tackle Zacch Pickens has been waiting for his opportunity seemingly forever. A groin injury during the final days of training camp sidelined Pickens just as the season was about to start.

He tried to come back for a Week 2 contest against the Houston Texans, but lasted only seven snaps of action before he re-aggravated his groin injury.

"Came back a little too early and ended up tearing it," Pickens said Thursday at Halas Hall. "That was a major setback. Spent the whole time trying to get back to playing like myself."

He wound up missing the next five games before coming back, for real this time, against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Pickens played 22 snaps on defense and two on special teams. It was the most game action he had seen since Week 18 of last season.

In the same game, Bears defensive tackle Andrew Billings went down with a torn pectoral muscle in his chest. Head coach Matt Eberflus revealed Wednesday that Billings will need surgery on his torn pec . The team officially placed Billings on injured reserve Thursday, and he's likely out for the remainder of the season.

That could lead to a big opportunity for Pickens.

"I definitely look at it as a huge opportunity for myself to show them what I'm capable of and just putting good film out there," he said. "Just showing what I can do."

I definitely look at it as a huge opportunity for myself to show them what I'm capable of and just putting good film out there."

— Zacch Pickens, Bears defensive tackle The Bears drafted Pickens out of South Carolina with a third-round pick in 2023 . They selected him just 11 spots after drafting another defensive tackle in Gervon Dexter . Looking to the future, the two were seen as a potential one-two punch for the Bears' interior defensive line. Both were stuck behind veterans on the depth chart during their rookie seasons in 2023.

A year later, Dexter has emerged as a real force for the defense. He became a starter this season and he leads the team with four sacks through the first eight games. For Pickens, though, the groin injury really set him back to start the 2024 season.

"The rehab, I was here every day, showing up, icing, stretching, doing strength," Pickens said. "Running, jogging, starting all that back over because I was limping. The process was crazy."

The Bears are going to lean on Pickens heavily with Billings out. The same could be said for fellow defensive tackles Chris Williams and Byron Cowart.

The fact is, the Bears probably can't replace Billings with just one player. Billings is a unique combination of stout, strong and quick. Not that the other defensive tackles aren't, but it's pretty clear to his teammates what Billings brings to the table.

Asked what he wishes he could take from Billings' game and apply to himself, Pickens said: "How strong he is."

This is going to be a group effort.

"We're at the point where we're playing 10 D-linemen or we're rotating nine," defensive line coach Travis Smith said. "It's a little bit different than if we were just playing one group 80% of the time. You're going to see some more combinations."

Asked specifically about Pickens, defensive coordinator Eric Washington said he wants to see a decisiveness.

"Not overthinking things, overanalyzing things," Washington said.

One of the biggest challenges for Pickens in his young NFL career has been quickly identifying the difference between run and pass plays. That's likely what Washington means when he says not overanalyzing.

The coaches want to see Pickens react quickly to what the offensive linemen are doing in front of him. That's been a work in progress for Pickens, and it's not an uncommon problem for young players. Live reps should help a lot, too, for a player who hasn't seen much action this season.

"Everything that you've heard with us starts with get-off, No. 1," Smith said. "But No. 2, within that split second of putting that first step in the ground, what is the man across from you telling you? Then can you execute your responsibility with violence and pad level and speed?"

The Bears are banking on Pickens doing just that.