Bears to hire Eric Washington as their new defensive coordinator
The Bears have found their new defensive coordinator.
Chicago is hiring former Buffalo Bills assistant head coach and defensive line coach Eric Washington to lead its defense, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Saturday, per a source.
The team later confirmed the news.
Head coach Matt Eberflus will continue calling plays, Pelissero added. Washington returns to the Windy City after being a defensive line coach in 2010.
“We are excited to announce that Eric Washington will be joining our team as the defensive coordinator,” Eberflus said in a team statement. “He is a great communicator with elite leadership skills and he will enhance our current defensive staff. His track record speaks for itself with coordinator experience as well as expertise in the area of defensive line. I want to thank the other outstanding candidates that applied for this position.”
Washington joined the Bills in 2020 as the defensive line coach. In 2022, Washington was promoted to assistant head coach/defensive line coach. Buffalo’s 2022 defense finished second in the NFL with 286 points allowed. This season, the Bills combined for 54 sacks and ranked ninth allowing 307.2 total yards per game.
The 54-year-old previously spent time in Carolina being the defensive line coach from 2011-2017 and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2018.
“My family and I are beyond excited to be returning to the Chicago Bears,” Washington said in a team statement. “It is humbling to have the opportunity to contribute to one of the most esteemed sports organizations in the world! I thank God and I appreciate Coach Eberflus, the Bears front office, and the McCaskey family for entrusting me with this responsibility.”
The move to bring in Washington to lead a talented defense was needed. During the 2023 season, former defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned from the position, leading to Eberflus being the defensive play-caller for the rest of the campaign. The defense was inconsistent leading to blown leads late in the games during the team’s first two months of the season.
However, the Bears’ defense turned around when they traded for Montez Sweat. It was a positive in the second half of Chicago’s season. Washington will now work with a young-talented defensive core in Sweat, Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon.
With a new offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron and now Washington to command the defense, Chicago now shifts its focus toward the future in the 2024 NFL Draft. General manager Ryan Poles and Eberflus will have to decide whether to use the No. 1 overall pick and select a QB or keep Justin Fields under center for the 2024 season.
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