The Buffalo Bills announced they’ve hired former Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Eric Washington as their new defensive line coach. Washington replaces Bill Teerlinck, who joined the Virginia Tech coaching staff on Wednesday.
Bills coach Sean McDermott has plenty of familiarity with Washington, since the two coached together on Ron Rivera’s staff from 2011 to 2016. Washington was the team’s defensive line coach at the time, and Rivera promoted him to defensive coordinator a season after McDermott vacated the post by joining the Bills. Washington was Carolina’s defensive coordinator for the past two seasons.
As the Bills press release noted, the Panthers defensive line had more sacks than any other group in the NFL while Washington was coaching them.