LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Thomas Brown hasn’t been able to end the Chicago Bears’ losing streak that started under former coach Matt Eberflus on a Hail Mary against the Washington Commanders on Oct. 27.
But Brown continues to sound like a future head coach, whether that remains at Halas Hall beyond this season or most likely for another team down the road.
Wednesday, Brown explained that he took issue with how some of the Bears’ locker room interactions became public after their loss against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, which led to the end of Eberflus’ tenure.
“Guys express emotion all the time. I want them to have expression,” Brown said. “But the fact that the outside world has access to private information is a problem to me.”
He emphasized that point when he first took over for Eberflus.
“What the outside world knows about what happens in my house is not their business,” he said.
That’s why he’s closely monitoring his team’s current emotions and frustrations. The Bears’ losing streak reached eight games on “Monday Night Football” against the Minnesota Vikings.
“First off, by setting the energy when I walk in the room,” Brown said. “It’s the most important thing as far as what our focus should be and (it’s) being consistent with my approach and how I feel. I’m always open and honest with them, very transparent being clear about the communication but also I think being able to give those guys an open doorway to be able to communicate their feelings. Not that I always am going to act off their feelings or emotions. But I think an understanding of what my role is — to try to figure out how to get the best out of those guys. But also help them work through problems not just in the game of football but also, to me more importantly, in life as well.”
Brown seems to check that “leader of men” box for the Bears.
But there will be more to the Bears’ head coaching search than that.
Production matters.
Brown is calling plays for an offense that Shane Waldron installed, but the Bears still have been outscored 68-25 in his two games as interim head coach. The Bears offense ranks last in total yards, 31st in passing yards and 31st in third-down percentage. Rookie quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix are also enjoying better rookie campaigns than Caleb Williams.
Different stories are unfolding around the league for other offensive coordinators and their quarterbacks. Here is a short list of six offensive coordinators for the Bears to consider. All statistics are from TruMedia or Pro Football Reference.
Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator
Total yards per game: 369.6 (7th in the NFL)
Passing yards per game: 238.8 (7th)
Rushing yards per game: 130.8 (9th)
Offensive points per game: 30.8 (2nd)
QB Josh Allen
Passing yards per game: 242.5
Completion percentage: 64.4
Touchdown passes: 25
Interceptions: 5
Interception rate: 1.2
Sacks: 13
Sack rate: 2.95
Rating: 103.5
QBR: 79.4
Rushing yards: 484
Rush TDs: 11
All the amazing things that Josh Allen does every game shouldn’t overshadow the candidacy of Brady in 2025. Brian Daboll became a candidate and later the head coach of the New York Giants in 2022 because of his work with Allen.
Just like Daboll, Brady can’t bring Allen with him. Brady once described the Bills offense as “Josh Allen’s offense.” But coaching Williams is a better starting point than coaching Daniel Jones was for Daboll in New York. Brady’s success connecting with and calling plays for one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL should produce interesting conversations with the Bears, who must focus on Williams.
Similar to Ben Johnson’s rise in Detroit, Brady took the next step in his career when he replaced Ken Dorsey as the Bills’ play caller last season. He was promoted from quarterbacks coach on Nov. 14, 2023, when Dorsey was fired. So not every coordinator has success with Allen.
Brady, 35, was LSU’s passing game coordinator and receivers coach in 2019 when the Tigers went undefeated and won the national championship with quarterback Joe Burrow and receivers Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase.
Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator
Total yards: 388.4 (3rd)
Passing yards: 244.0 (5th)
Rushing yards: 144.4 (4th)
Offensive points per game: 28.1 (4th)
QB Baker Mayfield
Passing yards per game: 258.4
Completion percentage: 70.8
Touchdown passes: 32
Interceptions: 14
Interception rate: 3.0
Sacks: 33
Sack rate: 6.65
Rating: 104.1
QBR: 55.7
Rushing yards: 266
Rush TDs: 3
Coen isn’t discussed or mentioned as much as Brady or Johnson, but quarterback Baker Mayfield is having a career-best season with him in Tampa. And Coen is a part of the Sean McVay coaching tree. He was the Rams’ assistant receivers coach from 2018-19 and assistant QBs coach in 2020 before leaving for Kentucky in 2021 to be the school’s offensive coordinator and QBs coach. He returned as McVay’s offensive coordinator in 2022, replacing Kevin O’Connell. Coen then returned to Kentucky to call plays in 2023.
Coen, 39, interviewed with the Bears and the Buccaneers, but the Bucs made the right choice and hired him. Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops once described Coen’s offense as “quarterback friendly.” During the 2022 season, McVay gave up play calling duties to Coen as the Rams worked through a difficult season after winning the Super Bowl.
There will be questions about whether Coen can command more than the offense, but the same applies to others on this list. Coen’s work with Mayfield is also notable. It could be his stepping stone. Dave Canales became the head coach of the Carolina Panthers after his one year with Mayfield and the Buccaneers. The same could happen with Coen, who was a four-year starter at quarterback at UMass.
Ben Johnson, Lions offensive coordinator
Total yards per game: 403.9 (2nd)
Passing yards per game: 260.1 (2nd)
Rushing yards per game: 143.7 (6th)
Offensive points per game: 31.8 (1st)
QB Jared Goff
Passing yards per game: 268.5
Completion percentage: 71.4
Touchdown passes: 30
Interceptions: 10
Interception rate: 2.3
Sacks: 26
Sack rate: 5.58
Rating: 110.4
QBR: 65.6
Rushing yards: 60
Rush TDs: 0
The positives that come with hiring Johnson should start to outweigh any of the risks. He might not exude the same “leader of men” energy that Mike Vrabel, Brian Flores and Aaron Glenn do, but they can’t call plays like he does.
As the architect of one of the NFL’s best offenses over the past two seasons, Johnson should be in high demand this coaching cycle.
And, yes, he seemingly knows that.
It’s why you’re already hearing and reading reports about what Johnson, 38, is looking for from his next team. The Bears and other interested teams should take note of everything being reported.
Johnson, a former walk-on quarterback at North Carolina, has more NFL coaching experience than Coen and Brady. His career started in 2012 as an offensive assistant for the Miami Dolphins under head coach Joe Philbin and coordinator Mike Sherman. He has a range of schematic influences, including John Shoop, Clyde Christensen, Mike Martz, Adam Gase, Bill Lazor and Darrell Bevell.
Todd Monken, Ravens offensive coordinator
Total yards per game: 424.1 (1st)
Passing yards per game: 245.6 (3rd)
Rushing yards per game: 178.4 (2nd)
Offensive points per game: 29.4 (3rd)
QB Lamar Jackson
Passing yards per game: 255.7
Completion percentage: 68.1
Touchdown passes: 34
Interceptions: 3
Interception rate: 0.7
Sacks: 21
Sack rate: 4.94
Rating: 120.7
QBR: 76.0
Rushing yards: 743
Rush TDs: 3
At 58, Monken is much older than everyone else on this list. His coaching career started in 1989 at Grand Valley State. Brady was born in the same year. But Monken’s success with the Ravens and Lamar Jackson this season warrants consideration at some level.
Plus, his wide range of coaching experience could appeal to the Bears and other teams. Before joining the Ravens this season, Monken won two national championships at Georgia as coach Kirby Smart’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Monken’s success at Georgia followed offensive coordinator stints with the Cleveland Browns (2019) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016-2018). He coached Mayfield and Jameis Winston early in their careers. Before joining the Buccaneers in 2016, Monken was the head coach of Southern Miss for three seasons, showing improvement every season going from 1-11 to 3-9 to 9-5 with a bowl game.
Coming from a coaching family, Monken, who is from Wheaton, Ill., has a coaching style that was described as “boisterous” and “high energy” by Ravens players, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec. He’s said to be demanding in a way that could ruffle some feathers, but the Bears arguably need that. Army head coach Jeff Monken is Monken’s cousin.
Bobby Slowik, Texans offensive coordinator
Total yards per game: 324.2 (19th)
Passing yards per game: 212.8 (19th)
Rushing yards per game: 111.4 (17th)
Offensive points per game: 22.4 (12th)
QB C.J. Stroud
Passing yards per game: 232.0
Completion percentage: 63.6
Touchdown passes: 17
Interceptions: 9
Interception rate: 2.0
Sacks: 45
Sack rate: 8.98
Rating: 89.0
QBR: 52.2
Rushing yards: 203
Rush TDs: 0
If we’re ranking candidates, Slowik would be behind Johnson, Brady, Coen and Monken. His offense isn’t putting up the same numbers this season and quarterback C.J. Stroud isn’t playing as well as he did last season.
But Slowik’s experience developing Stroud as a rookie and taking him through his second season does distinguish him from others. Johnson, Brady, Coen and Monken all started with veteran quarterbacks. Slowik’s first year as an offensive coordinator came with a rookie taken with the second pick in the draft.
Slowik, 37, faces the same concerns as other offensive coordinators. Every candidate will have flaws. Can Slowik handle an entire locker room? Why did he spend so long working with Pro Football Focus? What did he gain from working with San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan for six seasons?
Kliff Kingsbury, Commanders offensive coordinator
Total yards per game: 373.9 (5th)
Passing yards per game: 218.4 (16th)
Rushing yards per game: 155.5 (3rd)
Offensive points per game: 27.8 (5th)
QB Jayden Daniels
Passing yards per game: 217.5
Completion percentage: 70.5
Touchdown passes: 17
Interceptions: 6
Interception rate: 1.5
Sacks: 37
Sack rate: 8.60
Rating: 101.2
QBR: 71.1
Rushing yards: 656
Rush TDs: 6
Kingsbury’s experience “coaching” Williams at USC is overrated. Williams seemed to indicate as much weeks ago, saying that there were “certain things he couldn’t do, certain things he could do” since Kingsbury, 45, was only a senior offensive analyst for the Trojans. Williams went to USC to play for Lincoln Riley, not Kingsbury. But Kingsbury has more background information on Williams than other candidates.
Working with Williams could be very appealing for Kingsbury as he looks for his second head-coaching opportunity after flaming out with the Arizona Cardinals in 2022. The Bears will surely have questions about what failed to work with quarterback Kyler Murray.
But Kingsbury should have questions for the Bears.
Here’s No. 1: “Why did you hire Waldron over me?”
Kingsbury is getting more out of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels than the Bears have gotten from Williams. Daniels’ numbers are better across the board.
(Top photos of Ben Johnson and Joe Brady: David Reginek / Imagn Images; Bryan M. Bennett / Getty Images)
