What does Bears’ latest shakeup mean for Caleb Williams, Thomas Brown? A look at the ups and downs of the two

As Chicago Bears president Kevin Warren and general manager Ryan Pols addressed the media Monday, an NFC executive watched from afar with many questions.

Why was this press conference delayed three days after the Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus, the first in-season firing of a head coach in franchise history?

Why didn’t the Bears fire Eberfluss after the Washington Commanders cheated the Bears in a Hail Mary, and why did the franchise dismantle the guiding leadership group by shredding first overall draft pick Caleb Williams’ rookie season?

Why, now, are the Bears rehiring the offensive coordinator in the wake of Williams’ recent improvement?

Just three games have passed since Chicago fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. Now the Bears have promoted Thomas Brown from game coordinator to offensive coordinator to interim head coach in less than a month.

The change leaves Williams with only 13 professional games as his third offensive coordinator (though second play-caller) game-planning.

This was avoidable.

“In retrospect, if they considered it, they should have promoted Thomas to head coach, kept Shane and let Thomas work to ease Shane. [the] Crime,” the NFC executive texted. “Do that weeks ago, after the Hail Mary debacle. Thomas, in his best element, has an impact on offense but can focus on being a head coach.”

The suggestion is not a knock on Brown’s performance as coordinator. After Brown was promoted to play-caller, the Bears jumped from 24th to ninth in offensive EPA over the past three weeks according to TruMedia. The Bears’ offense jumped from 30th to 13th in total yards and 31st to sixth in third-down conversions. Williams’ passer rating jumped from 79.3 under Waldron to 118.2 with Brown.

But in a season when the Bears’ No. 1 priority should be supporting and developing their franchise quarterback, Williams’ decision to shuffle the direct line of communication again raised eyebrows from multiple sources across the league.

Are the Bears risking Williams’ long-term development and the future of their franchise? Brown was in a position that didn’t directly interact with Williams a month ago. Now, he’s the top line of communication for Williams — and all the players and coaches.

Williams said he sees the movement as an opportunity.

“I wouldn’t say it affected my development,” Williams said. “I think it’s a stepping stone to development, to be able to get all this in my first year. I wouldn’t say I’m happy about it. But having these moments is definitely something that will help me in the future.

“It’s not easy to keep going and roll with the punches and keep fighting. But you have to.”

The Bears will hope to do better than other in-flux NFL teams this year.

The Jets took a similar risk and collapsed. Will the bear?

In October, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson had an idea.

His franchise sat at 2-3, an overseas loss that seemed to embarrass Johnson perhaps even more than the country he recently served as U.S. ambassador to.

The Jets’ big-splash acquisition of Aaron Rodgers wasn’t working. Their kicker was missing the kick. And even though they lost their last two games by one-score margins, they still lost both.

So Johnson fired head coach Robert Saleh, who finished his Jets tenure with a 20–36 (.357) record. The Jets promoted defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to interim head coach, rewarding a strong-willed leader of the team’s most successful unit.

The problem: This midseason change shook up the defensive play-calling and structure. Suddenly, the team’s most effective unit lost its primary focus of play-caller in Saleh and its everyday leader in Ulbricht.

The Jets dropped from fifth to 30th in defensive EPA in their first five games after Saleh’s firing. They dropped from the second-best scoring defense to 16th, sixth-and-eight in the red-zone and 25th-and-20 on third-down.

A talented group of hard-working players could not fend off the odds of an operational shakeup.

The Bears, the team’s leader with the promotion of an interim head coach who recently had success with him, are now taking the same risk.

It’s an uphill battle.

The Bears have already lost six straight and now face five opponents with better records than their own, including four above .500. Williams, teammates and coaches alike have trumpeted improved communication and transparency as key principles of their recent improvement. But Brown will now compete with that clarity on his plate, challenging Williams in a way that wasn’t really needed before.

Sure, Brown has overperformed in every Bears opportunity so far. He presented as the most prepared and capable leader of the three Bears brass who spoke publicly this week.

But a franchise that announced itself this week as “the most coveted job in the National Football League this year” needs to take an honest look at the obstacles it’s putting in front of its coaching staff and its prime-time quarterback.

Brown, who insists he wants to manage rather than micromanage, downplayed the concerns.

“I’m not solely responsible for Kalb’s development,” Brown said. “He has a big part in it. Obviously, I was charged with leading with him and the team. His response has been great. My job is to be an effective communicator, to be honest and direct about what he’s doing well and what he’s not doing well.

“I have the same expectations for the team.”

What may come next for Thomas Browne in a new role

League sources were split on what the opportunity could mean for Brown’s career.

One camp believed that righting the ship as offensive coordinator would best fuel his career, a high-volume job but one Brown has proven capable of handling without an offseason to prepare. Is the relatively realistic transition from behind-the-scenes game coordinator to offensive coordinator to interim head coach and play-caller to master in one month?

It’s too soon to know how seriously the Bears will consider him for their long-term role in 2025, so Brown is aiming to keep his focus short-term.

“I can’t complain about answering prayers in certain different orders and what some people will say [is] Not an ideal scenario,” Brown said. “What I’ve learned about this profession is this: If you’re bad at your job, they walk away from you. If you’re good at your job, they let you stick around. And If you’re great at your job, you get promoted. So my thought process was always be the best I can be, don’t make it about myself and let the chips fall where they may.

“My goal is to make people and situations better.”

The second camp believed that total organizational leadership and game management experience would help Brown strategize for long-term opportunities in Chicago or elsewhere.

“He’s had the whole offseason to map out what his plan is, which is [brand new head coaches] Don’t know,” said a source close to the former interim head coach. “They think they know, but they really don’t. And it’ll hit them in Game 1 and then they’ll drink from the faucet all year and they’ll never get a break.

“This dude has eight months to map it out, knowing what it’s like.”

Brown wasted no time diving into his connections and management strategy after receiving the promotion Friday, three days before his players return to the building.

“I reached out to everyone on the team Friday and Saturday individually,” Brown said, “to let them know my thoughts, how excited I am for our growth together, and how much I need the whole group to respond appropriately.”

When the pre-meeting music stopped Monday at the team facility, players and coaches were focused, Brown said. In that first address, Brown preached accountability, coaching and reliability. He reminded the players that some thoughts need not be shared outside the building, the same way he doesn’t tell his honest neighbors what goes on inside his house.

Brown announced wide receivers coach Chris Beatty as interim offensive coordinator even as Brown retained play-calling duties. Brown also spoke this week with Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, for whom he worked weekly from 2020-22.

When it came time to prepare for the San Francisco 49ers, who are 4-point favorites over the Bears per BetMGM, Brown reminded the players that San Francisco will be physical and they will have to be.

He reminded Williams of the importance of mental toughness at quarterback.

“I try to tell him every day that he obviously has a very difficult job at the quarterback position and sometimes he gets frustrated,” Brown said. “Wednesday heavy install day. A lot of talk, a lot of warning criteria. So being able to figure out how to challenge yourself but give yourself grace, breathe. And if you mess it up — go back to Huddle and we’ll fix it. Breathe.”

The road to San Francisco and beyond won’t always be smooth. But Brown said he’s more focused on getting the personal best out of each coach and player than reaching a context-independent, objective measure of success.

“The goal is not perfection,” he said. “The goal is to be excellent.”