Eric

Washington

Turner’s time with the Jets comes to a close after just one season. The Jets also fired QB coach Charles London, DL coach Eric Washington, LB coach Aaron Curry, defensive assistant Roosevelt Williams and defensive assistant Alonso Escalante.

This will be Washington’s fourth stint as an NFL DL coach. He previously served as the Bears’ DC in 2024 and operated as the Bills’ assistant head coach and DL coach before that. Washington will now work with a highly talented Jets defensive line as the team attempts to rebound from a lost 2024 season.

Washington was hired by the Bears before the 2024 season and is officially one-and-done with the team. His dismissal can be partially blamed on the overturn at head coach, as Ben Johnson appears ready to bring on his own group of guys as he preps for his first run as a head coach. Washington didn’t begin calling plays for the Bears defense until Week 14. In his short stint as defensive coordinator, his team allowed 26.0 points per game and three games of 30-plus points. They also ranked 27th in EPA per play and 30th in success rate over that span. A veteran defensive line coach who joined the NFL ranks in 2008, Washington should have a decent market for work now that he’s available.

Washington called signals for the Bears down the stretch after they canned Matt Eberflus. He had spent the previous four years with the Bills as their defensive line coach and, in 2023, assistant head coach. He also coached the Panthers defensive line from 2011-2017 and the Bears’ line in 2010. In short: He’s a fairly experienced defensive line coach and would make a solid add for the Packers.

Washington was the Bills’ assistant head coach in 2023 and their defensive line coach since 2020. The 54-year-old was defensive coordinator for the Panthers from 2018-19 and had a stint as the Bears’ defensive line coach in 2010. Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is expected to still call the defensive plays but Washington is the new coordinator for a Bears defense that improved towards the end of the 2023 season.

Washington will reunite with fellow Panthers Sean McDermott in Buffalo. The 50-year-old served as Carolina’s defensive coordinator for two seasons but wouldn’t have been retained by new coach Matt Rhule, who is bringing in his own staff. It’s a good get for the Bills, who offer some interesting pieces up front including 2019 first-rounder Ed Oliver.

The news comes from the Charlotte Observer’s Jourdan Rodrigue. Washington has coached Carolina’s defensive line for the last seven seasons. He was reportedly out of contract following 2017, but the Panthers worked hard to re-sign him with ex-DC Steve Wilks expected to land a head coaching job, which he eventually did in Arizona.