Failed Bears Coach Lands New Job After Disastrous 2024 Season
By Jovan Alford
The Chicago Bears made substantial changes this offseason, starting with the head coach spot, naming former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson the new guy in charge.
Johnson wasted no time building out his staff, bringing Declan Doyle (offensive coordinator) and Dennis Allen (defensive coordinator) to the Windy City. With Doye and Allen holding the OC and DC roles, Eric Washington, Thomas Brown, and Chris Beatty would have to find new jobs.
Brown started off the 2024 season as the passing game coordinator, before being promoted to interim OC after Shane Waldron’s firing, and then was made the interim head coach after the team parted ways with Matt Eberflus.
Despite interviewing with the Bears, Brown did not stay in Chicago but was recently hired by the New England Patriots as their offensive passing game coordinator and tight ends coach.
Meanwhile, Washington interviewed for the Green Bay Packers defensive line coach vacancy. But nothing came of it. However, to his credit and resume at previous stops, Washington will be on the sidelines for the 2025 season.
According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the former Bears defensive coordinator will become the New York Jets’ new defensive line coach. Washington is replacing Aaron Whitecotton, who was hired as the new DL coach with the Dallas Cowboys.
The Jets are hiring Eric Washington as their new defensive line coach, sources tell @NFLonCBS. Washington previously served as DC for the Bears and Panthers and was the assistant head coach with the Bills in 2023. He and Jets DC Steve Wilks worked together for years in Carolina pic.twitter.com/3kxEOSvOrq
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) January 31, 2025
That said, Bears fans are not sad about Washington leaving the franchise as they believe Allen is an upgrade and can get this unit back on track. This season, the Bears defense struggled to stop the run, allowing 136.3 yards per game (28th in the league).
Chicago also failed to get much pressure on the QB as they recorded 40 sacks, which was good for 16th in the league. Additionally, the Bears were ranked 16th in passing defense (217.9 yards per game) and 13th in scoring defense (21.8 points per game).
The Bears' defense wasn’t overly spectacular, but it left much to be desired under Washington and Eberflus’ direction. That being said, we’ll see how the Bears’ defense looks under Allen in 2025 and what Washington can do with the Jets’ defensive line, which has some playmakers on it.
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