CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 23: Quarterback Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears reacts in the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field on January 23, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Bears fire running backs coach David Walker, leaving Eberflus without two assistants.
Lake Forest, Illinois (AP) The Chicago Bears fired running backs coach David Walker on Wednesday, leaving coach Matt Eberflus without two assistants after defensive coordinator Alan Williams quit in September and generating new concerns about the team’s culture.
Walker was in his second season with the Bears. He was hired after Eberflus replaced Matt Nagy at the end of the 2021 season.
“As the head coach, we are building a program,” Eberflus stated. “We have standards to uphold as a team and company, both on and off the field. And these standards were not satisfied.”
They had lost 14 straight games before winning against Washington in Week 5. They play this week in a venue where they have not won since 1991 when they visited New Orleans, though they did defeat the Saints in Baton Rouge, La., in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina.
With Justin Fields injured, Tyson Bagent, an undrafted rookie from a Division II school, will start at quarterback, and they will be without two assistants.
Eberflus was certain that the Bears have the right culture, no matter how horrible things looked.
“The culture in our building is outstanding,” he went on to say. “The men work really hard every day. The relationship component is present. We care for one another. We are working hard to get this thing turned. We’re 2-2 in our last four. One game was quite tight; we had a crack at it. We believe we are making progress and are looking forward to this week. But, to answer your question, our culture is amazing.”
Eberflus provided little specifics regarding Walker’s condition, declining to specify whether his removal was due to behavioral problems or his coaching ability. He also declined to clarify whether he was caught off guard by Walker’s condition or that of Williams, who resigned on September 20 to “take care of my health and my family.”
Poles seemed to give some insight on why Walker was terminated.
“If you don’t meet those expectations of how you move around this building and how you treat people, how you talk to people, how you act, you don’t belong here,” the Poles added.
“So the alternative is you do nothing and simply brush it under the rug, and you’re
Meanwhile, Poles heaped praise on his coach.
“What I see every day, where I see him address the team and I see his approach through adversity, it is stable, man,” he went on to say. “And I know it doesn’t appear to be that way outside. And I realize we appear to be a long distance apart. But this guy comes in every day and starts chipping away. He has a high level of integrity. He has worked hard to ensure that the people he brings in here are the right ones. Again, we uphold that standard. If it doesn’t follow that and people don’t behave in that manner, they’re not here.”
Last season, the Bears set a franchise high in rushing with 3,014 yards, led by quarterback Justin Fields (1,143 yards) and running backs David Montgomery (801) and Khalil Herbert (731). They are sixth in the league this season, despite Montgomery signing for Detroit in March and Herbert and youngster Roschon Johnson being injured.
When Williams stepped down, Eberflus took over as defensive playcaller. In mid-October, the Bears hired Phil Snow, the former defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, as their defensive analyst.
With Walker gone, Omar Young, the assistant quarterbacks and wide receivers coach, takes over as running back coach. He has previously worked with running backs in the NFL and at the college level.
Aside from generating more questions about what is going on at Halas Hall, Walker’s departure diverted attention away from Chicago’s deal with Washington for pass rusher Montez Sweat on Tuesday. With the Bears trading receiver Chase Claypool to Miami on October 6, the season has been hectic.
“We’re all disappointed,” Eberflus explained. “It’s never good for this to happen. Definitely a disappointment. But I know this: adversity strengthens you in your personal and team lives. It’s just how you get through it. “It’s how you react to it.”
