Thomas Brown was given a task no coach ever dreamed about. He had to take over an offense that had hit rock bottom in recent weeks from Shane Waldron, who’d been fired after just nine games. Quarterback Caleb Williams looked lost. He took way too many sacks, lacked aggression, and appeared to have shaky confidence. The offensive line was a mess, and the weapons weren’t being used to the best of their abilities. Brown had the dubious task of trying to fix all of that without an off-season or training camp to prepare.
Two weeks later, the offense is humming, and Williams is playing some of the best football of his young career. Facing the NFL’s #1 defense on Sunday, the rookie quarterback had 340 yards and two touchdowns passing. Though the Bears lost in overtime, it was the latest sign they finally have a franchise QB. Williams also seemed to suggest with his comments after the game that they have something special in Brown. His influence on the offense has been nothing short of stellar. It wasn’t hard to read between the lines.
There have been rumblings for two years that the 38-year-old is on the fast track to becoming a head coach in the NFL. It’s only a matter of time. Some are wondering if that team should be the Bears. They already have him on the staff. Everybody knows Matt Eberflus is on borrowed time after squandering a 4-2 start to the season with a myriad of brutal coaching blunders. Rather than waste time and money with another coaching search, why not hand the job to somebody they’ve already seen interact in this locker room?
Brown clearly has Caleb Williams’ endorsement, which is the most important first step. Other players have expressed how impressive he is as a communicator and leader. His press conferences should remind many of guys like Mike Tomlin. He’s calm, confident, disciplined, and demanding. That he’s been able to produce results this quickly after hitting rock bottom against New England two weeks ago says everything. If Williams sending that signal doesn’t get the Bears’ attention, nothing will.
