Thomas Brown, a former running back for Georgia, has long been regarded as an NFL rising star. Brown, 37, is getting ready for a fresh opportunity at the professional level even though he is still waiting on his first opportunity to be a head coach.
According to a number of sources, Brown will work as the passing game coordinator for the Chicago Bears after joining the organisation. Following a single season as the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, Brown will soon be joining Chicago, the team with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The only season Brown spent with the Panthers did not go as expected. Before first-year head coach Frank Reich was fired, Carolina had a 1-10 start with rookie quarterback Bryce Young. With special teams coordinator Chris Tabor serving as their acting head coach, the Panthers finished the season with a 2–15 overall record. In terms of total touchdowns (23), yards per run (4.0), and passing yards (3,245), the Panthers were worst in the NFL. They tied for 21st place.
Brown continued to be seen as a potential head coach in the league despite Carolina’s setbacks. He interviewed for the post with the Houston Texans last year and the Miami Dolphins the year before that. This year, he was a finalist for the Tennessee Titans opening.
After playing running back for Georgia from 2004 to 2007, Brown went on to have a great coaching career. After employment at Chattanooga, Marshall, and Wisconsin, he first returned to his alma mater in 2011 as a strength coach. Four years later, he returned as the running backs coach.
After accompanying Mark Richt to Miami, where he worked for three seasons as a staff member, Brown coached his former position at Athens for one season. Before heading to the NFL, where he worked as a staff member for the Rams for three seasons, he played alongside Will Muschamp at South Carolina during the 2019 season.
When the Rams won Super Bowl LVI in 2021, Brown was the team’s running backs coach and assistant head coach. For the 2022 season, he was the tight ends coach. Brown moved from Los Angeles to Carolina in order to take on the role of offensive coordinator, yet things did not work out there as planned.
Throughout the season, Brown and Reich alternated in calling plays as the Panthers attempted to get back on track. Reich was the fourth-shortest head coaching tenure in NFL history because that never occurred while he was in charge, forcing an in-season replacement.
It’s no secret that Ryan Poles, the general manager of the Bears, must make a pivotal choice this offseason about the quarterback situation. He has two options: he may add his own player with the first pick in the forthcoming draft, or he can continue with starter Justin Fields.
Although Poles’ decision is still unknown, it’s seeming more and more likely that the Bears will choose Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. Poles will try to trade Fields to the highest bidder if that occurs.
Fields experienced an inconsistent season in 2023 despite missing four games due to a thumb ailment. With a QBR of 46.1, he completed 61.4% of his throws for 2,562 yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Fields, who was always dangerous with his legs, finished his 13 starts with 657 yards and 4 touchdowns from rushes.
Last season, he played in some of his best games to date. He passed for four touchdowns and a career-high 335 yards in Week 4 against the Denver Broncos. He then outperformed the Washington Commanders with a 282-yard, four-touchdown outing.
With so many teams in need of a competent quarterback, Fields still has a tonne of untapped potential, so there shouldn’t be a shortage of suitors for the young quarterback who turns 25 in March.
In the event that Chicago decides to let the current Bears quarterback go, these five clubs appear to have the greatest interest in what he has to offer. For up-to-date coverage throughout the entire offseason, keep checking back with the Bear Report.
