If you were expecting Will Anderson or Frank Clark to solve the Bears’ woeful pass rush, DeMarcus Walker was a bit of a letdown as an offseason acquisition.
The veteran defensive end has 19½ sacks in his six seasons, though he had a career-high seven last year with the Titans. He never has been on a winning team in the NFL — Walker is 34-64 with the Broncos (2017-20), Texans (2021) and Titans (2022).
He might seem like an odd choice to change the losing culture at Halas Hall, let alone fix the pass rush. But already, the affable Walker has made an impact as an effusive leader who isn’t afraid to set the bar high for teammates as well as himself. He fills a gaping void after Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn were traded at midseason.
“D-Walk is high energy. He’s going to call you out,” said veteran safety Eddie Jackson, who assumed the veteran leadership role after Quinn and Smith were traded. “Just to have a guy like that — first year, don’t care about the faces, comes in and he loves football. He’s ready to call guys out, hold guys accountable. No one has the ‘poor me’s’ or [is] pointing fingers. We’re all going out there ready to work.”
It remains to be seen if Walker’s leadership and attitude will make a difference on the field. It’s a small test of the ability of general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus in player acquisition — to get more than meets the eye out of players with modest resumes.
“I love his energy,” Eberflus said. “I love where he is in terms of being a leader on the defense — just the way he plays and the example he sets, how he practices.”
Poles and Eberflus made several changes after the Bears finished 32nd in the NFL in points allowed last season — adding linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards in free agency and defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson in the draft.
Jackson has noticed the difference.
“Smart, electric, the energy. It’s just a different feel out there right now,” said Jackson, who returned from a Lisfranc injury at last week’s OTAs. “Even for me when I got back and watched from the sideline, you just see the energy that the young guys even bring. Then Tremaine, T.J., those inside guys, they are a staple to our defense right now. Just continue to build off the momentum, but the energy is high.”
It’s all part of creating a winning culture after the Bears lost their final 10 games last season.
“The young guys who have been here are hungry. They want to win,” said tight end Robert Tonyan, who played on Packers teams that went 53-28-1 the last five seasons. “Obviously, the new guys coming in, we’re here for a reason. Offensively, defensively, the older guys that were brought in, they’re here for a reason.
“And with that change . . . the young guys feel that. The guys who have been here feel that and want to get on that page and want to win. Winning is awesome. Going to the playoffs is different. Winning the division is a great feeling and I want to bring that feeling here, offensively. And defense is going to take care of themselves. They have good leaders. They went out and got the right people. Offensively, we did, too. We’re trending in the right direction.”
It’s all about flushing last season, which is easier for some than others.
“I forgot that crap,” Walker said. “The first few weeks you see what you’re working with, what’s the cause of that [3-14 season]. But this is the 2023 Chicago Bears. We’ve got a whole new identity, whole new offense, whole new defense, [a] whole new group of guys that’s willing to fight and lead. So honestly, [forget that stuff]. Last year’s done.”
