The Chicago Bears now have a new offensive coordinator after Shane Waldron was fired Tuesday: Thomas Brown.
But who is he and what should fans know about him?
Brown joined the Bears in 2024 as the offensive passing game coordinator after working as the offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers in 2023.
Prior to that, Brown spent three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, where he oversaw the running backs and tight ends groups before becoming Assistant Head Coach for two seasons. During that time frame, the Rams won the NFC West Division and a Super Bowl.
“Thomas is a bright offensive mind who has experience calling plays with a collaborative mindset. I look forward to his leadership over our offensive coaching staff and his plan for our players,” Head Coach Matt Eberflus said.
The team announced Waldron's firing Tuesday morning, saying he has been "relieved of his duties," just hours after Eberflus told reporters "adjustments and changes" would be made.
“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," Eberflus said in a statement. "This decision was well-thought-out, one that was conducted deliberately and respectfully. I would like to thank Shane for his efforts and wish him the best moving forward."
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Waldron, hired by the Bears from the Seattle Seahawks prior to the season, has come under increased scrutiny for his playcalling, especially as rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has struggled and as the team has been unable to take advantage of weaker opponents in recent games.
The move to Brown was one former Bears coach Dave Wannstedt suggested earlier this week as a possibility.
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"There's a guy, you know, Thomas Brown, who's been a coordinator before, he was with Sean McVay for a couple of years, coming up in the ranks, a young guy," Wannstedt said on NBC Chicago, noting the potential to have Brown call plays in place in Waldron.
The Bears currently sit at 4-5 on the season and have the NFL’s hardest schedule for the remainder of the season.
The Bears have not scored an offensive touchdown in their last two games, the first time they’ve gone back-to-back games without an offensive score since the 2004 season. They only scored one offensive touchdown against the Washington Commanders and have been outscored 66-27 across three straight losses.
The Bears have also allowed six or more sacks in each of their last two games, the first time they’ve done so in the last 31 seasons, according to Fox Sports.
Williams, who threw for four touchdowns in the team’s Week 6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass since, having averaged 156 passing yards and posting a completion percentage of 50.5% in his last three games.
He also has been sacked 18 times, and after rushing for 47 yards against Washington, Williams has 20 yards on six carries in the team’s last two games.
As things stand, the Bears have the league’s third-worst offense in terms of yards per game, averaging just 277.7 yards of offense so far this season. The Las Vegas Raiders, who are just ahead of the Bears in that category, recently fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who led Chicago’s offense last season.
The Bears averaged 323.2 yards per game on offense under Getsy’s leadership in 2023, right around the middle of the pack in the NFL.
