Thomas Brown was a popular man in the Chicago Bears locker room. Players loved him for his honesty, accountability, and high standards. His ability to stabilize the offense after the Shane Waldron disaster earned a lot of respect behind the scenes. Many felt he might have the capacity to become the team’s head coach with how he carried himself. So when Matt Eberflus was fired after Thanksgiving, he was the obvious choice for the interim position, right? Not according to many inside Halas Hall.
A source informed SM that multiple people were concerned about promoting Brown. It wasn’t because they felt he was unqualified. The fear was that doing so would put too much on his plate. He and quarterback Caleb Williams were finding a groove since he took over as offensive coordinator. Adding more responsibilities might disrupt a good thing. Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower was the more sensible choice. In the end, Brown got the job anyway. Sadly, things unfolded as feared.
After averaging 22 points per game in the three weeks as offensive coordinator, the Bears have dropped to 14 points per game since he took over as interim.
He signed on to become the Bears’ passing game coordinator this season. Then, in the space of a month, he was “promoted” to offensive coordinator and again to head coach. Expecting a guy to have success under such circumstances is unfair. He inherited a mess not of his making and was told to fix it. That just doesn’t happen in this league. Still, the man deserves credit for at least helping Williams avoid completely falling apart. The rookie seemed on the cusp of losing all hope after the New England game. Brown’s influence helped avert total disaster.
Fans won’t remember him as time goes on once the team revamps the coaching staff next year. They will become distracted by the new head coach and, hopefully, the success he brings. However, people should give Thomas Brown some respect. He may not have saved the Bears’ season, but he did at least preserve the future of the team’s potential franchise quarterback. Maybe his fate would be different had those inside the building who wanted him to remain as offensive coordinator were listened to. Still, his willingness to try is commendable.
