Thomas

Brown

Carolina’s offensive coordinator under Bryce Young’s “development” in 2023 now falls into the Caleb Williams gig. Brown was a Sean McVay disciple and holds more background as a running backs coach than as a playcaller. On the optimistic side, it’s hard to argue that Young was failed as yet another coaching staff fails to make much of him, while he and Frank Reich took turns calling plays. Brown was a fairly hot ticket last offseason as he interviewed for the Titans head coaching job, the Steelers offensive coordinator gig, and the Bears offensive coordinator opening before accepting a lower position on the staff in favor of Waldron. Elevated into yet another bad situation, Brown certainly is fighting the toughest battles an offensive coordinator can at the NFL level so far.

Thomas Brown, the Panthers’ former offensive coordinator, will take over play calling duties in Chicago. A year after flaming out as Seattle’s OC, Waldron couldn’t make it through one season with the Bears. Stacked with as much wide receiver talent as any team in the league along with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, Waldron’s offense ranked 31st in yards, with a meager nine touchdowns through Week 10. Chicago has the league’s fifth lowest offensive success rate heading into Week 11, and Williams has been the most inaccurate QB in football since the middle of October. The Bears are set to clean house following the season in an effort to save Williams from being one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history. It would be shocking to see Waldron get another OC job in the NFL.

Brown spent the 2023 season as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator with rookie Bryce Young at quarterback. The Panthers were arguably the league’s worst offense, though it was the 37-year-old’s one and only season as an offensive coordinator working with sparse talent. He previously worked with new Bears OC Shane Waldron when both were with the Rams. Brown will now come to the Bears as the team’s passing game coordinator, set to either work with Justin Fields or a newly-drafted rookie at quarterback.

Brown allegedly had a strong virtual interview with the Titans and then had a second interview earlier this week. Brown also interviewed for the Bears offensive coordinator position earlier this month and now has another interview with the Steelers. He was with the Rams for three years prior to coming to Carolina.

According to Wolfe, Brown “had a strong” virtual interview with the Titans earlier, which makes his in-person meeting with the team a second interview. Brown also interviewed for the Bears offensive coordinator position earlier this month but he appears to have been passed on for former Seahawks’ offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Brown is a Sean McVay protege who spent three seasons with the Rams before being hired by the Panthers last offseason. He’s been a name to watch as a potential head coach over the last year or two and could eventually find himself at the helm of his own NFL roster.

Brown oversaw arguably the league’s worst offense in 2023, though it was also the least talented. Only 37 years old, Brown spent three years working for Rams coach Sean McVay in Los Angeles. That connection has worked for almost all who have pursued it, though Brown would be coming into Tennessee on a low ebb. He has also interviewed for the Bears’ offensive coordinator opening.

Brown is also slated to interview for the Titans’ head coach opening. Brown landed the Panthers’ OC job after working under Rams head coach Sean McVay. With Bryce Young struggling in his rookie year, Carolina was among the worst offenses in every category, but Brown remains a top option for several teams looking to fill coordinator vacancies.

The deal was made official after being announced by the Panthers shortly after Garafolo’s report. Brown interviewed with four other teams for offensive coordinator roles and even got a call from Houston about their head coaching vacancy. Brown is the latest in a long line of Sean McVay proteges to be poached away from the Rams. He will join Frank Reich in Carolina as the franchise attempts to find a long-term solution at quarterback.

Brown continues to be one of the hottest names on the coaching market, with several teams lining up to speak with Sean McVay’s right-hand man. He will reportedly fly to Tampa to meet with the Bucs on Wednesday, and head to Carolina for a meeting with the Panthers on Thursday. It sounds like it’s just a matter of time until Brown is named offensive coordinator for one of these NFC South rivals unless another candidate emerges later in the process.

Brown has spent the last three seasons as the Rams’ running backs and TE coach. The Texans had interest in Brown for their head coach job and he was part of the Commanders and Chargers’ offensive coordinator search. Brown joins a list of candidates for Tampa that includes Broncos QB coach Klint Kubiak, Vikings WR coach Keenan McCardell, Jaguars QB coach Jim Bob Cooter, Bengals QB coach Dan Pitcher, Georgia OC Todd Monken, Giants QB coach Shea Tierney and Saints QB coach Ronald Curry.