REPORT: Chicago Bears Chose Wisely For New Defensive Coordinator

The Chicago Bears found their new offensive coordinator, Shane Waldron, earlier this week. Next for head coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles was finally seeking out a replacement for defensive coordinator Alan Williams. They ended up interviewing four candidates, including former Bears safety Chris Harris and former Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry. However, their choice ended up being a far bigger steal. It will be former Buffalo Bills assistant head coach and defensive line coach Eric Washington.

This is an excellent hire. Washington has been regarded as one of the best defensive line coaches for some time in the NFL. Given the importance of the defensive front in Eberflus’ 4-3 system, adding somebody of this caliber must be called a slam dunk.

Washington is actually a local product of sorts. His first defensive line coaching job was at Northwestern from 2004 to 2007. His work drew the attention of the Bears, and he was hired to run their defensive front in 2008. He’d hold that position through the 2010 season when they made the NFC championship. Washington then followed Ron Rivera to Carolina, where he’d help build one of the NFL’s best defenses in the mid-2010s, headlined by some excellent linemen like Charles Johnson, Greg Hardy, Mario Addison, and Kawann Short. All reached double-digit sacks at least once under Washington’s direction.

Finally, in 2018, he headed off to Buffalo, where he has helped the Bills forge a consistent top 10 defense in four of the past five seasons.

Washington will be perfect for the Chicago Bears’ young linemen.

They have promising talents like Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens already on the roster. One can only imagine what Washington could do with Montez Sweat. Washington has a knack for developing younger players. Jordan Phillips, Ed Oliver, Gregory Rousseau, and A.J. Epenesa have all developed into quality defensive linemen over the past few years. One can probably expect the Bears to continue investing in the front this off-season. Having Washington’s seasoned eye will be a huge benefit.

There can be no mistaking it. The Chicago Bears defense is in far better hands now than it was last year when Williams was in charge. Expect Eberflus to continue calling plays while Washington keeps things organized, providing motivation and detailed instructions. His long track record of success speaks for itself. There is no denying he’ll have an immediate impact on the linemen. It will be fascinating to see if that carries over to the linebackers and secondary.