Commanders Sign DE DeMarcus Walker

DeMarcus Walker has lined up his next NFL gig. The veteran defensive end has signed with the Commanders, per an announcement from his agency.

Walker was cut by the Bears prior to free agency, ending his tenure in the Windy City after two years there. Little interest was shown afterwards, although the Giants and Lions hosted him for visits in April. Neither of those teams moved forward with a deal, however, and Walker remained on the open market deep into the regular season. His 2025 debut could come on Sunday.

This is a practice squad deal, ESPN’s John Keim notes to no surprise. Walker is present with the Commanders in Madrid, Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic adds. Washington will take on Miami in the NFL’s first game played in Spain for Week 11. Walker’s presence with his new team means he could be designated as a gameday elevation from the practice squad for that contest.

The 31-year-old has made 100 career appearances across his time with the Broncos, Texans, Titans and Bears. His one-and-done Tennessee campaign saw Walker set a career high with seven sacks. He took on a much larger workload in Chicago, operating as a starter and collecting 3.5 sacks in both of his Bears campaigns. Walker will now look to carve out a depth role with the Commanders to close out the campaign.

Washington is dealing with a number of injuries on both sides of the ball, and veteran depth at any spot will be welcomed. The 3-7 team sits near the bottom of the league in a number of defensive categories and DC Joe Whitt Jr. will no longer call plays. The Commanders do rank mid-pack in terms of sack production (22), but improving in that department would still be welcomed during the second half of the season.

Walker’s 2026 market value will of course be determined by his performances over the coming weeks. It will be interesting to see how large of a workload he handles with Washington down the stretch and whether or not he does enough to warrant a new pact along a quicker timeline next year.