Tennessee Titans DE DeMarcus Walker signing free agent deal with Chicago Bears

The Tennessee Titans lost another free agent to the Chicago Bears Monday evening.

Defensive end DeMarcus Walker, who logged a career high seven sacks with the Titans in 2022, signed with the Bears in NFL free agency on Monday, according to a report from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. According to Garafolo’s report, the Bears will pay Walker $7 million over the next two seasons.

Walker played one season with the Titans after one year with the Houston Texans and four years with the Denver Broncos. He only had 12.5 sacks in his first five seasons before emerging as one of the Titans’ most effective pass rushers in the second half of 2022, filling in after injuries to Titans starters like Denico Autry.

Walker is the second former Titan to sign with the Bears Monday. The Bears also reportedly signed guard Nate Davis, who spent the past four years starting on the Titans’ offensive line.

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The Titans have a number of starters hitting free agency this offseason. In addition to players whose contracts are expiring like linebacker David Long and offensive linemen Nate Davis and Aaron Brewer, the Titans also released or are expected to releasing offensive tackle Taylor Lewan, receiver Robert Woods, linebackers Zach Cunningham and Bud Dupree, center Ben Jones and kicker Randy Bullock.

In releasing those veterans, the Titans freed up nearly $50 million in cap space and put the team under the salary cap, giving the team the ninth-most money available to spend for 2023.

Titans GM Ran Carthon is one of two first-year general managers in the league this offseason and inherits a team that lost seven-straight games to end the 2022 season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

This story will be updated.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans DE DeMarcus Walker signs with Chicago Bears | Report