The Chicago Bears continue breaking traditions this season. It started when they drafted a quarterback #1 overall, which had never happened in franchise history. Then, they chose to start him immediately, which has also never happened. However, the biggest moment came when Matt Eberflus was fired on Black Friday, marking the first time in over a century of existence that the Bears dismissed a coach midseason. Thomas Brown has taken over as interim for the rest of the year. Now, the obvious question is being asked.
What happens next?
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN shed some light on this. The belief is the remaining five games will be a wide open audition for Brown. If he can get the team going down the stretch, the Bears are open to keeping him in that spot moving forward. Beyond that, the plans are relatively straightforward.
Bears interim coach Thomas Brown will continue to call plays while in his new role after Chicago fired Matt Eberflus on Friday. That’s good news for quarterback Caleb Williams, who has played better in three games with Brown as his play caller.
I suspect Brown, the team’s former pass-game coordinator who has been promoted twice in 17 days, will get a real look at the role long term. He’s well-respected, has interviewed for several head-coaching jobs and has acquitted himself well in the process. The Bears probably will cast the expected wide net, and while an offensive mind would be helpful for Williams, experience calling plays is not a prerequisite for the job.
They realize they have a legitimate franchise-caliber quarterback on their hands. He’s been terrific over the past three weeks, throwing five touchdowns, no interceptions, and leading three consecutive 4th quarter comebacks against division rivals. Maximizing his immense potential is priority one for this organization. Brown already has a head start on that since he took over the offense before the Green Bay game. After another outstanding season in Detroit, Ben Johnson is the hot name on the upcoming circuit. Joe Brady, Kliff Kingsbury, Todd Monken, and Liam Coen also figure to get attention. Rumors are the Chicago Bears brass would like to make a splash of some kind.
What that will be is undetermined. It’s too early to tell. Still, they seem to have a clear plan of attack. Things will become clear after the season finale just over a month from now. All eyes are on Brown. It’s his job to lose.
