Buffalo Bills reportedly losing defensive coach to the Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears are hiring Buffalo Bills defensive line coach Eric Washington to be their new defensive coordinator, according to multiple reports.

Washington, 54, joined the Bills coaching staff in 2020 after seven seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Bills coach Sean McDermott promoted Washington to assistant head coach before last season after taking over as defensive coordinator when Leslie Frazier left the team.

Washington’s first three seasons in the NFL as a coach came in Chicago from 2008-2010.

Chicago coach Matt Eberflus still plans to call the plays for the Bears defense, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reported.

The Bills’ defensive line has been heavily criticized the past week after its performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in a 27-24 Divisional round loss last Sunday. The Bills weren’t able to sack Patrick Mahomes a single time in the game and only registered six pressures as a unit, per Pro Football Reference. When the two teams played in December, the Bills pressured Mahomes 11 times and sacked him one time.

McDermott was asked about the lack of production from Washington’s unit earlier this week.

Washington isn’t the only coach who could be on the move this offseason for the Bills. Linebackers coach Bobby Babich has reportedly been requested for interviews with the Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, and New York Giants for their vacant defensive coordinator positions. Babich is a talented young coach who’s been with the Bills since 2017 when McDermott took over. Buffalo will likely need to offer Babich their defensive coordinator job for him to stay in Buffalo.

The Bills signed Marcus West as their assistant defensive line coach before the 2022 season. It’s unclear if they will look to fill Washington’s job internally or go outside of the organization. Former Bills assistant defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire signed with the Cleveland Browns on Friday to become their defensive line coach.