The Chicago Bears fired another assistant coach this week, and non-football reasons were once again a factor in the decision.
On Wednesday, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus announced that the team has parted ways with running backs coach David Walker.
“As the head coach, we are building a program and have standards to uphold to as a staff and organization both on and off the field, and those standards were not met,” Eberflus told the media. “We have a standard to uphold to. When that standard is not met, we act. We act accordingly, and that’s what we did today.”
ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reports that the dismissal was a result of Walker’s workplace misconduct. The 53-year-old had previously been reprimanded by the Bears’ human resources department, and his firing came after a second incident.
Eberflus did not go into detail about how Walker failed to live up to the “standards” of the Bears organization. The head coach, however, insisted that the Bears have an “outstanding” culture despite two coaches leaving midseason because of off-field issues.
Former Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams abruptly resigned back in September. There were reports that Williams’ house had been raided by the FBI, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter said human resources was involved in Williams’ dismissal as well.
