Bears hire Bills' Washington as DC

The Chicago Bears hired Buffalo Bills assistant head coach and defensive line coach Eric Washington as their defensive coordinator, the team announced Saturday.

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus will continue to call plays on defense, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

"We are excited to announce that Eric Washington will be joining our team as the defensive coordinator," Eberflus said in a 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."

The Bills hired Washington in 2020 as the defensive line coach, and he was awarded the assistant head coach title in 2023 after being a senior defensive assistant in 2022.

This will be Washington's second stint in Chicago, as he was brought in as a defensive assistant in 2008. He ultimately became the defensive line coach in 2010 before taking a job with the Carolina Panthers in the same role in 2011.

The 54-year-old Washington will look to help continue the club's defensive success it saw down the stretch of the 2023 season. The Bears ranked third in EPA/play allowed on defense from Weeks 12-18, according to Ben Baldwin's database. They didn't allow a team to score more than 21 points in their final six games of the year.

Chicago has some key defensive players set to hit free agency, including star cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who was PFF's highest-graded defensive back in 2023. Johnson said he wants to become the NFL's highest-paid cornerback this offseason.