Bears acquire potential key to unlock Justin Fields amid Caleb Williams draft rumors

The Chicago Bears are adding a new member to their think tank, with former Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator joining the NFC North franchise as a pass game coordinator, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.

“Former #Panthers OC Thomas Brown to the #Bears as pass-game coordinator, per source.”Although the Panthers had one of the worst offenses in the NFL during the regular season, Brown was voted the second-best offensive coordinator in the league in a recent NFLPA player poll. Brown isn’t the only new face on the coaching staff of the Bears offense, with the team also recently hiring a new offensive coordinator in Shane Waldron. It’s worth noting that Brown and Waldron used to be part of the Los Angeles Rams coaching staff in the 2020 season, so the history between the two men might have been a factor in the Bears’ hiring of Brown.

The end goal, of course, for Brown and Waldron in Windy City is to elevate Chicago’s Justin Fields-led offense. The two also arrive in Chicago amid speculations about the Bears potentially selecting USC Trojans star Caleb Williams as the first-overall pick at the 2024 NFL Draft.

In 2023, the Bears finished just 19th and 21st in the NFL with 21.2 points and 323.2 total yards per game, respectively. Before getting the Bears job, Brown interviewed with the Tennessee Titans for a head coaching gig and also tried his luck in applying for the offensive coordinator jobs for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots.