While new Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was bobbing and weaving to avoid repeated questions about Justin Fields, Caleb Williams … and just about anything Thursday, new defensive coordinator Eric Washington made a triumphant return to Halas Hall with the wind at his back.
Washington, a former Bears defensive quality-control and defensive-line coach for Lovie Smith and Rod Marinelli in 2008-10, inherits a defense that finished strong this past season. In the final eight games, the Bears led the NFL in points allowed (17.1 per game) and were ninth in yards (310.3) and second in takeaways (19).
The defense not only has nearly every piece in place — with safety the biggest hole to fill after Eddie Jackson was released last week — but all sorts of room for growth from developing players such as safety Jaquan Brisker, cornerbacks Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson and defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens.
“It’s an explosive group of players,” Washington said. “This defense was elite in several important categories that lead directly to winning football: making teams one-dimensional, stopping the run.
“We’ve got some really good players on the defensive line. This team is in the top two or three in taking the football away and continuing to feed an explosive offense. Along with the scheme and the structure of the defense, those are the things that really got me excited about coming.”
Even though head coach Matt Eberflus will be the defensive play-caller, Washington sees an opportunity for career growth. He was the defensive-line coach with the Bills the last four seasons, earning promotions to senior defensive assistant in 2022 and assistant head coach in 2023. But with or without play-calling responsibilities, this is a promotion.
“My focus was what the job is, as opposed to what it isn’t,” Washington said. “The oppor-tunity to come to this organization with a defense that is clearly on an upward trajectory that has some really dynamic performers in place, with plans of obviously augmenting that, that’s what my focus was.
“I’ve been a play-caller. I’m pretty confident that I will do that again at some point. But right now, I’m really confident with what Matt is going to bring to the table in that respect, and I will support him as best I can.”
Washington has 16 years of NFL experience. He was a coordinator for the Panthers under coach Ron Rivera. But his impact on the Bears’ defense remains to be seen. A year ago, the Bears didn’t need a defensive coordinator. When Eberflus took over after Alan Williams’ resignation in Week 2, the unit only got better.
“Matt’s aware of my background in terms of calling defenses,” Washington said. “And what we talked about more than anything was, ‘How do we put forth the best scenario for 2024 to make sure our defense is going in the right direction?’ ”
After a rough first season with the Bears in 2022, Eberflus established this defense as his defense in 2023. As a coordinator who doesn’t coordinate, Washington might have the trickiest job of all — picking his spots, staying out of Eberflus’ way and still finding a way to make a difference.
“I will do everything that a coordinator is doing without actually calling the defense,” Washington said of the role. “And if he needs to hand that [play-calling] responsibility off to me temporarily for a snap or two, [I’ll] be ready to follow up and take that role on.”
The same goes for installing the defense and formulating the game plan.
“We’ll be collaborating on all of those issues,” Washington said. “Certainly, I’ll be counted on to be part of constructing the defense, organizing exactly what we want to do. . . . Matt and I will work closely together to come up with the final approach that we want on a week-in and week-out basis.”
