Most people didn’t think much of the move when it happened. According to widespread belief, hiring Thomas Brown was meant to add more help to the offensive staff. He’d be an extra voice to help Caleb Williams transition to the NFL. Not that it mattered much. Shane Waldron would be the offensive coordinator. He’d run the show. Brown was an afterthought. Fast forward a few months, and Waldron is gone. He was fired after only nine games due to atrocious offensive performances. Brown has since stepped in, restoring the confidence of the locker room and guiding them to one of their best games of the season with 27 points and 400 yards against the #1 Minnesota Vikings defense.
Head coach Matt Eberflus would have everyone believe he played the central role in bringing Brown to Chicago in the first place. Mark Carman of CHGO disputed that claim. He stated on the CHGO Bears Podcast that he has it on good authority that GM Ryan Poles was the one who lured the in-demand assistant to Chicago. Not Eberflus.
Was Poles already thinking ahead by pursuing Thomas Brown?
It is well-known that the GM was the primary voice in keeping Eberflus this season. He felt continuity was important to push the team forward. However, sources have told SM others inside Halas Hall preferred a change, including team president Kevin Warren. This revelation would suggest that Poles felt there was a possibility things could go sideways, and he would need some insurance, both for Waldron and maybe even Eberflus. If true, he should consider a new career as the Oracle of Delphi for such a prophetic move.
Things have unfolded exactly as feared. Waldron was a complete disaster, and Eberflus once again stumbled into another long losing streak after a 4-2 start. Meanwhile, Thomas Brown not only has Caleb Williams playing excellent football, but he’s winning over players in the locker room with his leadership, confidence, and calm under pressure. Is it possible Poles wanted to use this season as a long-term interview to see if he could be the next head coach? This story from Carman sure makes it seem that way.
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