(670 The Score) New Bears defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker is a dynamic personality with plenty to say, but the exception is when it comes to stating his personal expectations publicly.
Instead, Walker deferred to his past performance on the field.
“I know what type of player I am,” Walker said. “You’ll see after the season.”
The 28-year-old Walker landed a three-year, $21-million deal with the Bears earlier in March. He posted a career-best seven sacks for the Titans last season and has proved himself as a versatile player on the defensive line.
Because of that production and those traits, Bears general manager Ryan Poles saw Walker as an important addition as he looked to bolster Chicago’s defensive front.
“DeMarcus Wallker adds a big, tough, violent, heavy-handed guy that can play defensive end and kick inside and rush too,” Poles said.
Walker broke into the NFL as a second-round pick of the Broncos in the 2017 NFL Draft and played four seasons in Denver. After struggling with injuries and inconsistency earlier in his career, he had his breakthrough 2022 season with the Titans, which made an impression on the Bears’ brass.
Signing with the Bears was appealing to Walker because of 24-year-old quarterback Justin Fields' promise as well as the team's need and history. Walker believes he can help elevate Chicago's defense, which allowed an NFL-worst 27.2 points per game in 2022.
“(I wanted) to play for a team that sees the value in me to help them win,” Walker said. “Obviously, it’s a business, so the relationship, the talks, the investment part all has to shape up together so that we can all feel comfortable. But these guys have done a lot of good things historically and when you look on the wall behind me, I mean, come on now – I mean you get a rush being a defensive player coming here. This is an offensive league nowadays and when you walk in here you see – no offense to Gale Sayers, but you see (Brian) Urlacher and Mike Singletary and a lot of defensive guys up here. So you go, 'OK, this is where I want to be.'
“It’s a quarterback-driven league. Everyone wants to see touchdowns and passes and obviously that’s what sells tickets. But everybody wants to hold up the Lombardi, and there’s one side of the ball that’s very pivotal, and that’s defense.”
The Bears have looked to upgrade their defensive front after the team had an NFL-low 20 sacks in 2022 and was 31st in the league in defending the run. For his part, Walker intends to be a difference-maker by being himself.
“Walk by faith,” He said. “Control what you can control. You got to ask those tough questions. As men and the whole masculine whatever toxic – being men, we tend to be stubborn and know all the answers. We’re too egotistic to reach out even if it’s someone we’re not even comfortable talking to. But that’s called growth and being men. A lot of guys are just guys. There are very few men in this world. To put their pride to the side and talk to someone and ask, ‘How’s your brain? Why did you fall here? How did you have success here? Or what happened right here?’ I’ve asked some tough questions, reached out to some people.
“I’m just more of a humble mindset to where I can’t just go out there and say this is going to happen. I know what I’m very confident in.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.
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