Despite their late-season surge, the Chicago Bears were often thought of as one of the NFL’s worst teams in 2023. Changes have already been made, with a new offensive and defensive coordinator taking over coaching duties heading into 2024, and the Bears could have a new QB too.
Related: Chicago Bears insider reveals there’s no debate over QB decision, Justin Fields’ future
One of the new hires the Bears made is extremely confident about their chances to improve next season, and he’s already making bold predictions about the team’s success.
Eric Washington says Chicago Bears will have the NFL’s best pass rush in 2024
Eric Washington, the Chicago Bears’ new defensive coordinator who arrived from Buffalo, is doing his best to get fans pumped up for the season ahead. One of the areas Washington, in conjunction with head coach Matt Eberflus, will be tasked with improving is the team’s pass rush after averaging just 1.8 sacks per game, second-worst in the NFL.
Adding Montez Sweat via trade late last season will surely help, but Chicago’s first-year defensive coordinator already believes the Bears already have an elite pass-rushing group on hand. In fact, he says Chicago will have the NFL’s best pass rush in 2024.
“We’re going to be a team that generates pressure with our front four. We’re going to build the best pass rush in football that happens to be an area – fortunately an area that I’ve had tremendous success with – and we have the personnel to get that done.”
Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington
Washington’s right, in that he does have previous success creating pressure. His Bills ranked fifth in the NFL, averaging 2.9 sacks per game in 2023. The Bills accomplished this feat while getting five or more sacks from five different players, using a rotation to keep legs fresh. We could see a similar approach in Chicago too.
Yet, keep in mind, these words, this guarantee, is coming from someone who doesn’t even call plays. Not only is he putting extra attention on himself, he’s also creating more pressure for his boss, Coach Eberflus. While pressure is the name of the game, the Bears probably prefer it takes place between the lines on the gridiron, not off the field where fans can hold Chicago accountable if they fall short of their goals.
Nevertheless, it’s promising to hear that Washington has such confidence in his ability to coach, in addition to the talent already on hand. Now, the biggest question will be, can the Bears actually deliver?
