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Bears Considering Thomas Brown For Full-Time HC Post; Latest On Matt Eberflus’ Firing

December 4th, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Over the past seven offseasons, only one team (the Raiders) has moved an interim HC to the full-time post. Antonio Pierce is 2-10 to start his stay in that role. The Bears are still high on their interim option and are planning to give him a true look.

Thomas Brown will be considered to replace Matt Eberflus on a full-time basis, ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin notes. The team has bumped Brown from pass-game coordinator to OC to interim HC over the past month, representing a significant bounce back for a staffer who had been a one-and-done Panthers OC.

The Bears moved the 38-year-old coach into this role after making their first in-season firing, booting Eberflus soon after he was allowed to speak with media the morning after a late-game breakdown in a narrow Thanksgiving loss. Eberflus’ tense postgame meeting with players has been well chronicled, with several — most notably cornerback Jaylon Johnson — speaking up about the nature of the loss to the division-leading Lions. Johnson cut off Eberflus mid-speech, Cronin adds, with a profane rant eventually leading to the three-year HC’s exit from the locker room.

Eberflus offered explanations to the press about the sequence that cost the Bears a chance to attempt a game-tying field goal in Detroit, doubling down Friday in his last comments as Bears HC. He had defended the decision not to call a timeout as the offense slowly operated while the clock ticked into single digits, and while Bears brass met about Eberflus’ future during his speech, Cronin indicates his Friday presser had “zero” impact on the firing.

Still, the optics of Eberflus speaking to the media at 9am CT and then being canned not long after did not paint a portrait of stability. Bears president Kevin Warren soon admitted the team could have handled this situation better. Warren said (via 670 The Score’s David Haugh) the team was trying to be respectful when asked why the team let its HC address reporters roughly 90 minutes before his ouster. Warren has gone on to say the Bears’ job will be the most desired on next year’s market. Unlike the Jets’ Robert Saleh firing, which went around then-GM Joe Douglas, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager confirms GM Ryan Poles was part of the Friday-morning meeting that sealed Eberflus’ fate.

The Bears are not firing Poles, who was initially hired two days before Eberflus. Poles did not have a chance to run that search, only offering late input into the process. Warren and Poles were believed to have a good relationship, and that report has preceded the president — whom the Bears hired after their Poles and Eberflus hirings — giving his GM the reins in the team’s latest HC search. The heat will certainly be on Poles if this next hire fails, but for now, his seat is fairly cool.

Chicago is expected to target an offensive-minded coach to work with Caleb Williams. Teams regularly pivot in the other direction after a firing, and the team’s offense-defense yo-yo would continue in that event. Dating back to Lovie Smith, the team has gone defense-offense-defense-offense-defense — in terms of coaching background — with its past five hires (Smith, Marc Trestman, John Fox, Matt Nagy, Eberflus). A lean toward offense will give Brown a shot, and while a source told Cronin that Brown is the “real deal,” the modern NFL rarely sees teams give interims strong consideration. Pierce’s struggles offer another warning.

In terms of outside hires, Lions OC Ben Johnson and Commanders play-caller Kliff Kingsbury, per Cronin, are indeed viewed as candidates. We heard as much Sunday, with Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman also coming up. Warren’s past as a college commissioner could certainly make him more open to such a hire.

Johnson has been connected to the team for a bit now, and the selective coordinator will again be courted by most (if not all) of the HC-needy teams. Kingsbury did coach Williams, but the Bears already passed on him for their OC gig this year to hire Shane Waldron. An eight-hour meeting — one previously viewed as somewhat of an intel-gathering session on Williams, rather than a true interview about the job — led to Kingsbury exploring other jobs.

The Bears also passed on Brown for that job initially, but he has gained considerable ground after initially signing on in a lower role. A convoluted Panthers plan impacted Brown’s first OC foray, as the Panthers attempted to blend Sean McVay‘s offense with Frank Reich‘s. Brown was in the crosshairs, being elevated to a play-calling role before being demoted before once again calling plays — during a 2-15 Panthers season — once Reich was fired. This season has brought more significant changes to Brown’s job description, but the ex-Rams position coach does appear to have more momentum now than he did coming off the Carolina one-and-done.

Interim HC Thomas Brown, DC Eric Washington To Call Plays For Bears

December 2nd, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

With the departure of former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, Chicago was forced to do some shuffling of the coaching staff just weeks after the firing of former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron necessitated some shuffling of its own.

Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported today that, with Thomas Brown continuing his in-season ascension from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator to interim head coach, wide receivers coach Chris Beatty has been named the team’s new offensive coordinator. Beatty, who just started coaching in the NFL in 2021 as the Chargers’ receivers coach, had reportedly been very involved in the passing game since Brown had taken over offensive play-calling duties from Waldron.

While Beatty will officially get his first offensive coordinator title in the move, Brown will retain play-calling duties as interim head coach. This is the second season in a row that Brown has taken over play-calling duties for a fired boss and the second season in a row in which his head coach has been fired. Last year, Brown didn’t call plays as offensive coordinator of the Panthers until then-head coach Frank Reich ceded the duties to him shortly before losing his job.

After Waldron was fired for putting up only 27 points in the three weeks prior, the Bears have scored 19, 27, and 20 points in the three games with a Brown-led offense. He’ll continue calling plays for Caleb Williams and company for the remainder of the year.

Similar to Brown’s situation in Carolina last year, Eberflus also held play-calling duties before getting fired. Those defensive play-calling duties will now officially be passed down to defensive coordinator Eric Washington, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Washington got his first defensive coordinator gig for the Panthers in 2018, but near the end of the season, then-head coach Ron Rivera took over play-calling duties from Washington. He retained his coordinator role in 2019, but Rivera continued calling plays until his midseason dismissal.

Right now, I think it’s safe to say that none of Brown, Beatty, or Washington will be favorites to retain their roles at the moment. With Chicago investing in a new start behind their No. 1 overall draft pick, Williams, they’ll likely search for a coaching staff that works best around him, like Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who mentored Williams at USC.

Still, all three coaches have five weeks to show exactly what they have to offer in their current roles. Brown has been interviewing for a number of head coaching jobs around the NFL in the past several years and finally has a chance to audition for teams looking to fill the position this offseason. Beatty’s young coaching career in the NFL has a chance to continue escalating with this new coordinator experience, and Washington has finally received a second chance at calling defensive plays. Five weeks is plenty of time to set some new narratives.

More On Bears’ Decision To Fire Matt Eberflus

November 30th, 2024 at 10:47pm CST by Ben Levine

Matt Eberflus became the first Bears head coach in franchise history to get canned in-season. Considering the long list of questionable calls and demoralizing losses, the move didn’t come as a complete surprise…especially to those in the building.

[RELATED: Bears Fire Matt Eberflus]

According to Adam Jahns and Dianna Russini of The Athletic, players were especially “furious” following Chicago’s loss on Thursday. Many players questioned Eberflus’s decision to not call a timeout before the last play, with team captain Jaylon Johnson described as especially “emotional.”

“We felt as players it’s been too many instances where we fought our way back into games to lose because of bad time management and decision-making,” one player told The Athletic.

One staffer noted that the post-game locker room “was ugly” and featured “a lot of yelling.” While Eberflus tried calming down his squad with a speech, he didn’t hang around while his players continued to fume. Eberflus’s uncharacteristic exit from the locker room could have also been due to the presence of team president Kevin Warren, who notably hung around the team much longer than usual following the Thanksgiving debacle.

The locker room outburst appeared to be a long time coming. As The Athletic notes, Ebereflus’s recent attempts to take accountability for the team’s mounting losses appeared to be “insincere” and countered his differing tone from earlier in the season. While the now-former HC also tried saving face by firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, there were many in the locker room who believed Waldron wasn’t the right choice from the get-go.

Specifically, the offensive coordinator came in and installed a “pure progression passing system,” a concept that’s difficult for any QB. With Caleb Williams leading the way under center, some players voiced concerns that the staff wasn’t putting the rookie in a position to succeed. It went beyond the passing offense, as well; Waldron scrapped “two years of progress under offensive line coach Chris Morgan” by completely revamping the team’s running attack.

“Where they messed up was with Shane and making him the coordinator to begin with,” one player told The Athletic.

Chicago had a 4-2 record heading into the bye week, and the team’s demise was surely a collective effort. Still, Eberflus was going to be the clear scapegoat. Curiously, Eberflus met with the media hours before his firing. The Athletic notes that Morgan, chairman George McCaskey, and GM Ryan Poles were still meeting during that scheduled press conference, and the trio didn’t want to signal that “something big was happening” by cancelling Eberflus’s presser.

We’ve heard from Eberflus for the first time since the aforementioned press conference. The former HC released a statement this morning (h/t NBCChicago.com):

“I would like to thank the McCaskey family and Ryan Poles for the opportunity to be the head coach of the Chicago Bears … I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the players for all of their effort, dedication and resilience. In every situation – practice, games and especially in the face of adversity, you stayed together and gave great effort for your team and each other … What I am most proud of was the way you carried yourself both on and off the field and represented the Bears organization with class in the community … To the fans, thank you for your support and passion. I will always have a deep appreciation for the Bears organization and the city of Chicago.”

If there’s any silver lining, there seems to be growing optimism surrounding interim head coach Thomas Brown. The team’s former passing game coordinator was promoted to OC following Waldron’s firing, and The Athletic notes that the coach’s “communication style and leadership skills earned the respect of players and staff.”

Eberflus Fallout: Bears, Warren, Brown, Poles

November 29th, 2024 at 9:48pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Bears’ Friday coaching change came as a surprise after head coach Matt Eberflus completed his morning media availability before he was fired. The coaching staff “had a normal morning” with their usual postgame meetings after Thursday’s loss to the Lions, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. Eberflus spoke to the media, though he was clearly aware of the potential to lose his job.

Meanwhile, chairman George McCaskey, team president Kevin Warren, and general manager Ryan Poles were amidst a multi-hour meeting debating Eberflus’s firing that lasted through his press conference, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The Bears’ decision-makers came to their decision and informed Eberflus so he could tell his staff before they went home for the day.

Here is more fallout from the Bears’ coaching change:

  • Warren remained in the locker room for much longer than usual after Thursday’s loss, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. He spoke with several players, many of whom criticized Eberflus’s decision not to call a timeout before the last play of the game. Whether it was gathering feedback or assuring players that the front office would work to right the ship, those conversations likely factored into Warren’s approval of the firing. However, he was not present when the front office addressed the locker room after the coaching change was announced, per Breer.
  • Warren is expected to be on the search committee when the Bears interview head coach candidates after the regular season, per ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler. He’s had an “active role” in football operations since arriving in Chicago in 2023, according to Kahler. There is even “a perception around the league that Warren is the one making the calls,” indicating that Poles’ job security as general manager could be in question.
  • The scene in the locker room immediately after the game was “pretty ugly”, according to Breer. Players and coaches were frustrated with the team’s inability to close out a comeback after going down 16-0 in the first half.
  • Interim head coach Thomas Brown is well-regarded within the organization after starting the year as pass-game coordinator before taking over as offensive coordinator when Shane Waldron was fired earlier this month. It’s unlikely that Chicago’s first-ever midseason coaching change would install an interim that wasn’t a candidate for the full-time gig after the season is over, according to the Chicago Sun Times’ Patrick Finley. He now has five games to win over the Bears’ locker room and front office to cement his candidacy for a long-term position. If Brown inspires a turnaround, he could convince the team’s decision-makers that he’s the right man for the job before they have a chance to interview any other options.
  • Brown has been “hands on” with Caleb Williams over the last three games, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. Williams has averaged 275.7 passing yards in that stretch after averaging fewer than 200 over the team’s first nine games. The team appreciates Brown’s direct approach with Williams and wants to see if it has an impact on the whole team.
  • In addition to monitoring Brown’s potential as head coach, the Bears are still evaluating the rest of the coaching staff over the remainder of the season, per veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson.
  • If Brown isn’t able to earn the job, the Bears are expected to target an offensive-minded coach to further Williams’ development, per Cronin. Offensive coordinators like the Lions’ Ben Johnson, the Buccaneers’ Liam Coen, the Falcons’ Zac Robinson, and the Cardinals’ Drew Petzig could all be on Chicago’s short-list.

Bears Fire OC Shane Waldron

November 12th, 2024 at 9:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

As a losing streak threatens to derail the Bears’ season, they are making a major change. Matt Eberflus‘ comments regarding the state of his team will lead to a play-caller change.

The team is firing OC Shane Waldron, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. Hired to replace Luke Getsy in April, Waldron is done after just nine games. Pass-game coordinator Thomas Brown is expected to take the reins. This concludes a steep freefall for Waldron, who spent the previous three seasons as the Seahawks’ OC. The team has announced the move and Brown’s promotion to OC.

Losing three straight, the Bears have not scored a touchdown in their past two games. The team has gone 23 straight possessions without a TD; at 277.7 yards per game, Chicago’s offense sits 30th at the midpoint. Chicago’s offense also sits 30th in DVOA. With the team making a hopeful trajectory-shifting investment in Caleb Williams in April, this season brought high stakes. Waldron will be the first domino to fall, with Eberflus almost definitely on the hot seat as well.

“After evaluating our entire operation, I decided that it is in the best interest of our team to move in a different direction with the leadership of our offense. This decision was well-thought-out, one that was conducted deliberately and respectfully,” Eberflus said. “I would like to thank Shane for his efforts and wish him the best moving forward.”

Given the Bears’ listless performance against the Patriots, this is not exactly a surprising decision. Though, Waldron came to Chicago after interviewing with multiple teams. The former Seahawks and Rams assistant met about the Patriots and Saints’ OC vacancies. The Bears pulled the trigger quickly, however, hiring Waldron shortly after Pete Carroll‘s dismissal prompted the Seahawks to let his assistants seek employment elsewhere.

Both of Chicago’s past two OCs are now out of a job, with Waldron’s firing coming barely a week after the Raiders axed Getsy. Waldron, however, had considerably more to work with than what Getsy was handed in Las Vegas. But Williams has struggled as of late — even as the Bears have their top three wide receivers healthy. Although Chicago’s O-line has run into injury- and performance-related trouble, Williams has not built on some early-season promise.

Williams’ 38.4 QBR ranks barely above Gardner Minshew‘s for 29th in the league (among qualified options). The Bears did not strongly consider Jayden Daniels at No. 1 overall, viewing a clear gap between Williams and the field among this year’s QB crop. But the No. 1 overall pick is averaging just 6.1 yards per attempt and has taken an NFL-high 38 sacks. That is familiar territory for the Bears, who ditched sack-prone QB Justin Fields weeks after they learned they would have Williams access (via the 2023 Bryce Young trade) atop the draft.

The Bears played without tackle starters Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright against the Pats, and eight-figure-per-year guard Nate Davis has been a bust at guard, quickly drifting to healthy-scratch status. The Patriots sacked Williams nine times in an embarrassing 19-3 result for the Bears, who lost 29-9 to the Cardinals in Week 9. That Arizona outing, of course, came after Daniels’ heave bailed out Washington in what thus far looks like a season-defining loss for Chicago. Waldron calling a goal-line handoff to backup O-lineman Doug Kramer, leading to a costly fumble, brought considerable scrutiny in the aftermath.

Monday meetings included a scenario in which Waldron would follow Nathaniel Hackett‘s path by accepting a demotion, Pelissero adds, but instead he received walking papers like Getsy. Given the turnover after Getsy’s January ouster, the Chicago Tribune’s Dan Wiederer notes this is the eighth Bears staffer to be fired or resign since September 2023. This will give Brown a second chance as a play-caller.

The Bears interviewed Brown for their OC post in January, doing so despite the former Sean McVay assistant being tied to Young’s woeful rookie year with the Panthers. (Chicago also interviewed Kliff Kingsbury, Williams’ 2023 QBs coach at USC, but went with Waldron.) Brown spent much of last season as Carolina’s play-caller, taking over after David Tepper fired Frank Reich 11 games in. While the Panthers retained DC Ejiro Evero, Brown was not in the organization’s plans.

Reich gave Brown play-calling duties early last season but reclaimed the call sheet soon after. Brown, however, moved back into that role after the HC’s firing. The Panthers ranked 31st in points scored and 32nd in total offense last season, as they tried to blend Reich’s offense with Brown’s Rams concepts. Brown, 38, had moved to Charlotte after receiving HC interest.

A popular OC candidate in 2023 as well, Brown also interviewed for the Texans’ HC job last year and the Titans’ HC post this offseason. The Pats and Steelers also met with Brown about their OC openings. This firing will also make Brown the NFL’s only Black play-caller presently. Waldron and Brown worked together in Los Angeles in 2020, before the former took the Seattle gig. Waldron was at the helm for Geno Smith‘s Comeback Player of the Year season, though QBs coach Dave Canales received plenty of credit for that. Nevertheless, this will mark Waldron’s first firing during his NFL coaching tenure.

Brown takes over as perennial 1,000-yard wideout D.J. Moore sits on just 398 yards; trade pickup Keenan Allen has not moved the needle, either, amassing just 241 in seven games. Williams not making a noticeable second-half leap will probably result in Eberflus’ ouster. The Bears are more likely to give GM Ryan Poles a second chance, not necessarily attaching the front office boss to Eberflus, who was hired just two days after Poles. As ownership and team president Kevin Warren will evaluate Eberflus, Brown will suddenly play a lead role in determining if the Bears will stay the course.

2024 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

February 9th, 2024 at 1:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a crowded carousel previously stopped, the 49ers opened their defensive coordinator position. Here is how the NFC champions’ search looks:

Updated 3-2-24 (10:00am CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dave Ragone)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Ken Dorsey)

  • Joe Brady, interim offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (Bills): Hired
  • Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed

Carolina Panthers (Out: Thomas Brown)

  • Marcus Brady, senior offensive assistant (Eagles): Interview requested
  • Brad Idzik, wide receivers coach (Buccaneers): Hired

Chicago Bears (Out: Luke Getsy)

Cincinnati Bengals (Out: Brian Callahan)

  • Andy Dickerson, offensive line coach (Seahawks): To interview
  • Dan Pitcher, quarterbacks coach (Bengals): Promoted

Cleveland Browns (Out: Alex Van Pelt)

Las Vegas Raiders (Out: Mick Lombardi)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Kellen Moore)

New England Patriots (Out: Bill O’Brien)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Pete Carmichael)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Brian Johnson)

  • Jerrod Johnson, quarterbacks coach (Texans): Interviewed
  • Kliff Kingsbury, senior offensive analyst (USC): Interviewed 1/23
  • Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (Chargers): Hired

Pittsburgh Steelers (Out: Matt Canada)

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Shane Waldron)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Dave Canales)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Tim Kelly)

  • Nick Holz, passing game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Thad Lewis, quarterbacks coach (Buccaneers): Interviewed
  • Eric Studesville, associate head coach/running backs coach (Dolphins): Interview requested

Washington Commanders (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Chip Kelly, former head coach (Eagles/49ers): On team’s radar
  • Kliff Kingsbury, senior offensive analyst (USC): Hired

Defensive Coordinators

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Ryan Nielsen)

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Mike Macdonald)

  • Zach Orr, inside linebackers coach (Ravens): Promoted

Buffalo Bills

  • Bobby Babich, linebackers coach (Bills): Promoted
  • Mike Caldwell, former defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed
  • Sean Desai, former defensive coordinator (Eagles): To interview

Chicago Bears (Out: Alan Williams)

  • Joe Barry, former defensive coordinator (Packers): To interview 1/27
  • Chris Harris, secondary coach (Titans): To interview
  • Eric Washington, assistant head coach/defensive line coach (Bills): Hired
  • Terrell Williams, assistant head coach/defensive line coach (Titans): To interview

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Dan Quinn)

Green Bay Packers (Out: Joe Barry)

Jacksonville Jaguars (Out: Mike Caldwell)

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Derrick Ansley)

  • Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Michigan): Hired

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Raheem Morris)

Miami Dolphins (Out: Vic Fangio)

New England Patriots

  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Promoted
  • Michael Hodges, linebackers coach (Saints): To interview
  • Tem Lukabu, outside linebackers coach (Panthers): To interview
  • Christian Parker, defensive backs coach (Broncos): Interviewed

New York Giants (Out: Don Martindale)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Sean Desai)

  • Mike Caldwell, former defensive coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed
  • Vic Fangio, former defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Hired
  • Ron Rivera, former head coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/22

San Francisco 49ers (Out: Steve Wilks)

  • Gerald Alexander, safeties coach (Raiders): Interviewed 3/1
  • Daniel Bullocks, defensive backs coach (49ers): Interviewed 2/28
  • David Merritt, defensive backs coach (Chiefs): To interview
  • Nick Sorensen, defensive passing game specialist (49ers): Promoted
  • Brandon Staley, former head coach (Chargers): Interviewed

Seattle Seahawks (Out: Clint Hurtt)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Shane Bowen)

  • Brandon Lynch, cornerbacks coach (Browns): Interviewed 1/30
  • Dennard Wilson, defensive backs coach (Ravens): Hired

Washington Commanders (Out: Jack Del Rio)

  • Joe Cullen, defensive line coach (Chiefs): Considered a candidate
  • Joe Whitt, defensive backs coach (Cowboys): Hired

2024 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

February 1st, 2024 at 9:55am CST by Sam Robinson

The Commanders’ hire has wrapped this year’s cycle. Barring a team making an 11th-hour change, the 2024 HC carousel has come to a stop. The final breakdown produced five defensive coaches being hired compared to three with backgrounds on offense. Many teams are still searching for offensive and defensive coordinators, however.

Updated 2-1-24 (10:37am CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

New England Patriots

  • Jerod Mayo, linebackers coach (Patriots): Hired

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Bears To Add Thomas Brown To Staff

January 30th, 2024 at 8:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two of recent NFC offensive coordinators will be part of the Bears’ 2024 staff, which will have a major Sean McVay imprint. Thomas Brown will follow Shane Waldron to Chicago.

With it being clear for weeks Brown was done in Charlotte, the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs notes he will join the Bears as passing game coordinator. While Brown spent last season as the Panthers’ OC, he worked on McVay’s Rams staff from 2020-22. Brown and Waldron worked together for the 2020 Rams. Prior to joining the Panthers last year, Brown worked as a tight ends and running backs coach in Los Angeles.

Other teams interviewed Brown, 37, for their OC jobs, but he will head for Illinois. The Bears brought in Brown for an OC interview earlier this month but hired Waldron soon after. As the Bears prepare for a monumental decision on offense — one that almost definitely comes down to a future with Justin Fields or Caleb Williams — they will have two former McVay staffers running the show whenever that call is made.

The Panthers hired Brown as their OC last year. While NFL history suggested it was safe for Brown to expect Frank Reich to be retained for at least two years, David Tepper bucked that by firing the longtime HC after 11 games. This came after Reich had yanked play-calling duties back from Brown following an initial three-week run. Brown finished the season as the Panthers’ play-caller, but as the team has made retaining DC Ejiro Evero a priority from Reich’s staff, it never stood in the way of Brown looking elsewhere.

An abysmal Panthers season led to the Reich firing and an eventual Dave Canales pickup. Canales has brought in Brad Idzik, who also worked under Waldron in Seattle, to be his non-play-calling OC. The Panthers ranked 31st on offense under Reich and Brown, but the latter interviewed for the Bears, Patriots and Steelers’ jobs. Although the New England position has not been filled, Brown may not have been the favorite. The Steelers hired Arthur Smith earlier today.

Brown will rejoin D.J. Moore in Chicago, though the two did not exactly overlap long in Carolina. The Panthers traded their top wide receiver to the Bears — in the Bryce Young swap — barely a month after hiring Brown. Moore represents a key piece as the Bears evaluate their quarterback situation, with Waldron and Brown input potentially on tap as the top offensive voices in the building.

Panthers OC Thomas Brown Not Expected To Stay In Carolina

January 27th, 2024 at 2:03pm CST by Ely Allen

It’s been assumed for some time now, but Joe Person of the The Athletic confirmed today that Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will not be a part of new head coach Dave Canales‘ staff. Brown just finished his first season as an offensive coordinator in the NFL and is receiving interest for other head coaching and coordinator jobs around the NFL.

Brown has been a hot, young name in NFL coaching circles the past few years. He broke into coaching at the collegiate level, working as a strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater, Georgia. After consecutive one-year stints as a running backs coach at Chattanooga, Marshall, Wisconsin, and Georgia, Brown followed his head coach Mark Richt to Miami, where he would work as offensive coordinator for the Hurricanes, though Richt retained play-calling duties.

After another one-year stint at South Carolina, Brown made his NFL debut on Sean McVay‘s staff in Los Angeles as a running backs coach. After only a year, McVay added the role of assistant head coach to Thomas’ title and, eventually, moved him to tight ends for a year. The demand became strong for Brown as he started interviewing for head coaching jobs and was eventually hired as Frank Reich‘s offensive coordinator in Carolina. It was a doomed role for Brown as, like Richt, Reich retained play-calling duties, ceding them to Brown here and there during periods of ineffectiveness before getting let go.

Brown’s expected departure from Carolina is less a reflection on Brown than an indicator of Canales’ plans moving forward. Canales has requested an interview with Eagles senior offensive assistant Marcus Brady, and there have been rumors that his quarterbacks coach from Tampa Bay, Thad Lewis, may eventually join him in Carolina, as well. Canales plans on calling plays for the offense during his stint as head coach, so we’re seeing less experienced candidates getting looks for the coordinator job below him.

Brown’s name continues to stay hot in conversations for vacant positions. So far this offseason, Brown has interviewed for offensive coordinator positions with the Bears, Patriots, and Steelers, and he even made it to the second round of interviews for the Titans’ head coaching job that went to Brian Callahan. Even if Brown fails to land a new coordinator job for 2024, he remains a name to watch due to his leadership potential.

Panthers Request OC Interview With Eagles’ Marcus Brady

January 26th, 2024 at 7:39pm CST by Ely Allen

It was already thought to be the case as he interviews for other head coaching and offensive coordinator positions, but it seems Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown is officially not expected to return to Carolina in his previous role. There’s a chance that Brown is a candidate and wins over new head coach Dave Canales, but for now, the team will move on with interviewing new candidates, starting with a request to interview Eagles senior offensive assistant Marcus Brady, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Since the focus in Carolina has been bringing in a new head coach, Brady is actually the team’s first offensive coordinator interview since their season ended. In 2023, former head coach Frank Reich called plays for most of the season for the Panthers offense, ceding play calling duties for a short time to Brown before eventually losing his job. Now, with the offensive-minded Canales in the house, a changing of the guard is expected in Carolina.

Brady’s name picked up traction in the Canadian Football League. Shortly after his seven-year playing career ended as a CFL quarterback, Brady jumped to the coaching side of football, accepting a wide receivers coaching job with the team he ended his playing career with, the Montreal Alouettes. Eventually, Brady would get a promotion to become Montreal’s offensive coordinator, leaving a year later to accept the same position with the Toronto Argonauts.

After six years of calling plays in the CFL, Brady finally made the jump to the NFL in 2018 when he accepted the assistant quarterbacks coaching job under Reich in Indianapolis. A year later, Brady was promoted to quarterbacks coach and became the heir apparent behind then-offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni. When Sirianni departed to coach the Eagles, Brady was, naturally, promoted to fill his shoes in 2021. Halfway through the 2022 season, though, Brady was fired by a 3-4-1, turnover-prone Colts team. Brady called up his old buddy Sirianni in Philadelphia and was hired as an offensive consultant for the Eagles three weeks later, before getting promoted to his current position in 2023.

Brady’s name has been thrown around a couple different times in the past two years for offensive coordinator jobs. Last year saw Brady interview for the Rams and Jets open coordinator jobs. So far this year, he was requested to interview for the open offensive coordinator job in Chicago before it was awarded to Shane Waldron from Seattle.

With the job in Carolina now openly being advertised, Brady enters as the Panthers’ first potential candidate to serve as offensive coordinator under Canales. Canales is expected to call plays for the Panthers offensive after having done so in Tampa Bay last year, so it will be interesting to see exactly what the team is looking for in a new offensive coordinator under the first-time head coach. Brady is our first clue to figuring that out.

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