REPORT: Patriots Interviewed Bears Interim Coach For OC Vacancy
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The Patriots have been pretty quiet when it comes to their pursuit of their new coaching staff under Mike Vrabel, but one name was reported on Friday night of someone they’ve spoken to.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, the Patriots reportedly interviewed Chicago Bears interim coach and offensive coordinator Thomas Brown for their vacant offensive coordinator position.
Brown, who was in his first season in Chicago, started the season off as the team’s passing game coordinator with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron in Matt Eberflus’s staff.
But a rocky season by the Bears, along with a 19-3 loss to New England in Week 10, saw Waldron fired, and Brown promoted to offensive coordinator.
Brown was then later named as the interim coach after Eberflus was fired a few weeks later, with Brown stepping in as Chicago finished the season 1-4 to close out the 2024 season.
He becomes one of the first names we’ve heard in terms of actual interviews as a potential offensive coordinator candidate for the Patriots. However, it looks like Brown was apparently among the names Vrabel said the club had planned on speaking to during his appearance on WEEI on Tuesday as the team begins mulling its options for its coaching staff.
“Yeah, I’m going to look at every possible candidate that I feel like can help us,” said Vrabel. “We’re going to start that process today, this afternoon, and visit with some great coaches, and then we’ll see where things go. That’s all three phases.”
Chicago is currently interviewing multiple candidates for their head coach opening, with Brown reportedly also having interviewed with the Bears for that opening earlier this week.
Vrabel described the hiring process as one that he expects will be a “long” one, and it feels like he’s just getting started.
“It’s one that will go out a few weeks,” said Vrabel. “It could go out longer than that. It’s always delicate when you have teams that are continuing to play in the playoffs, potentially the movement that could occur with coaches on other staffs and related to their contracts. It’s just not as cut and dry as, ‘Hey, these guys are going to walk in tomorrow and we’re going to have a full staff.’”
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