With Week 5 already underway across the NFL, the rest of the league is gearing up for what should be another fun weekend of action on the gridiron. The Chicago Bears, on the other hand, are one of four squads not in action, as they're regrouping during their early bye week.
After one month of the season, the injury bug has hit several teams, forcing them to either call up guys from the practice squad or sign free agents to fill a spot on the 53-man roster. As we see every year, there’s always a host of veterans who should be on a roster, but for one reason or another, they’re still sitting in free agency.
This is the current situation for former Chicago Bears defensive end DeMarcus Walker. The veteran pass rusher still isn’t on a 53-man roster or practice squad to begin October, despite a few teams struggling to generate a pass rush due to performance or injury.
Ex-Bear DeMarcus Walker Is Still Sitting in Free Agency to Begin October
The 31-year-old Walker spent the last two years in the Windy City after signing a three-year, $21 million deal in free agency in 2023. Chicago surprisingly released the veteran defensive lineman in February despite Walker being a full-time starter.
When Walker was released in February, the belief was that he would find a job in free agency, as he can play on the edge and the interior in a 3-4 defensive scheme. However, that has not been the case for him, and his chances of playing this season dwindle with each passing week.
The last thing we heard about the former Bear was that he had visits with the Detroit Lions and New York Giants in April. Surprisingly, Detroit hasn’t knocked on Walker’s door again, as they do not have the best defensive end depth right now with Marcus Davenport banged up.
Last season, Walker started in all 17 games and did a little bit of everything for the Bears. He had 47 combined tackles, 23 quarterback pressures, 16 quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. Even though he didn’t get a ton of sacks during his Bears tenure (seven sacks in two years), he still found a way to get into the backfield. He’s also solid against the run.
That said, one does wonder if Walker will even get a practice squad nod in the coming weeks as we’re getting closer to the NFL trade deadline. If teams are looking for a defensive line upgrade, they could opt to make a trade for a guy on an underperforming team rather than go after the ex-Bear who hasn’t played since last season.
Regardless, it's a situation worth monitoring as injuries continue to pile up around the NFL.