Eric Washington became the Chicago Bears' newest defensive coordinator, replacing the long-departed Alan Williams. He comes over from the Buffalo Bills, having spent the past four seasons as their defensive line coach. Some may not know this won't be Washington's first stint in Chicago. He was with the team from 2008 to 2010, serving as their defensive line coach during that time. The man was a big part of their last playoff victory. Since then, his reputation has only grown across the NFL.
It seems that reputation has staying power among former Bears, too. A pair of them came out publicly after the hire was announced to make it clear the organization did a really good thing by bringing him back. One was defensive end Corey Wootton, who worked with him in both college and the pros. The other was center Olin Kreutz, who worked against Washington's front every week in practice and then in 2011 with the Saints when the coach was in Carolina. He didn't need many words to express his approval.
Eric Washington is a disciplined teacher.
The guy isn't afraid to call players out when they're slacking and not paying attention to the details. He can balance that hard-nosed style by forging relationships with those players, learning what makes them tick, and finding the right way to motivate them. It's hard to argue with his approach. Players routinely had their career-best seasons under his watch. Israel Idonije had eight sacks in 2010. Charles Johnson had 12.5, Greg Hardy had 15, Kawann Short had 11, and Mario Addison had 11 in Carolina. As for Buffalo, Ed Oliver (9) and A.J. Epenesa (6.5) both hit top marks this past season.
It isn't a surprise that head coach Matt Eberflus targeted him. If anybody embodies the coaching style and approach of his mentor, former defensive line legend Rod Marinelli, it's Eric Washington. He is deeply familiar with the Tampa-2 defense and the heavy demand placed on the front four. His job will be to get the most out of them, showing the young guys how to play the position properly. Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens, their promising rookies from this past year, stand to benefit the most.
Presuming the Bears keep adding to the talent pool this season, they could be significantly more formidable in 2024.
