The Chicago Bears have terminated the employment of their running backs coach, David Walker, due to issues with his behavior in the workplace, according to a report by The Athletic.
The decision to dismiss Walker was influenced by the team’s human resources department, which had previously given him a warning about his conduct on the job, as reported by ESPN. This recent firing was prompted by a second incident involving his behavior.
Walker, who had been with the team for two seasons, is now the second assistant coach to leave the Bears midseason, following the departure of former defensive coordinator Alan Williams. This year has been challenging for the Bears, who have a 2-6 record, and they are looking ahead to secure promising draft picks in 2024.
Walker, originally from Rochester and a former player at Syracuse, has 26 years of coaching experience, which includes collegiate coaching roles at Syracuse and Pittsburgh, as well as coaching in the NFL with the Colts (2011-14) and the Lions (2016-18).
The Bears had an impressive rushing performance last season, breaking franchise records and leading the NFL. In the current season, they rank sixth in rushing yards per game with 132.8, despite dealing with injuries to their quarterback, Justin Fields, and starting running back, Khalil Herbert.
Chicago may need to reorganize its coaching staff to compensate for Walker’s departure. The specifics of his dismissal were not widely known as of early Wednesday morning, but it’s another challenging situation for the organization.
Alan Williams had resigned from his position as defensive coordinator in September due to “inappropriate” behavior, as reported by ESPN. His resignation was accompanied by rumors of FBI involvement, but these allegations were denied by Williams’ attorney. Williams cited health and family reasons for stepping down, leaving defensive responsibilities to head coach Matt Eberflus, who has a defensive background.
In addition to these coaching changes, the Bears recently made a surprising trade for pass rusher Montez Sweat and are preparing to face the Saints in Week 9 following their current position of holding the second and third overall picks in the 2024 NFL Draft after Week 8, according to Tankathon.
Leave a Reply