Report: Bears to sign defensive end DeMarcus Walker

The Bears will be signing former Tennessee Titans defensive end DeMarcus Walker to a 3-year deal, NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo reported on Friday. The Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs has the contract details at $21 million with $16 million guaranteed.

Walker, 28, broke out for the Titans in 2022 with 7 sacks, 32 pressures and 16 quarterback hits. He previously spent his first four seasons with the Broncos, who drafted him in the second round in 2017, and he spent 2021 with the Texans.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, Walker is a big-bodied defensive end who showcased the ability to play both inside and outside along Tennessee’s defensive front this past year. He finished third on the team in sacks, trailing just Denico Autry (8.0) and Jeffery Simmons (7.5).

Chicago struggled significantly getting to the quarterback in 2022, as they finished dead last in the NFL with just 20 sacks as a team. Of those 20 sacks, only 10.5 of them came from defensive linemen. As 2nd City Gridiron’s Ross Read pointed out after the signing, Walker had just 4 quarterback hits than the entirety of the Bears’ defense this past year.

Walker marks the first signing the Bears have made along their defensive line so far in free agency. He joins Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Nate Davis and DJ Moore as recent acquisitions over the last three days.