Bears' Interim HC Thomas Brown to Interview for Full-Time Role After Season Finale

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles announced Sunday that interim head coach Thomas Brown will receive an interview for the full-time head coaching job at the conclusion of the regular season.

During an appearance on the Bears pregame show on ESPN 1000 (h/t ESPN's Courtney Cronin), Poles said:

"He will get an interview and I'm excited to hear his thoughts. Because he's been here. He's been here, he's seen and reflected just like we have on the past and how we got to this and why were the results, the results. So, I'm excited to hear from his side on how we got here and how he would fix it."

Brown started the season as the Bears' passing game coordinator before getting promoted to offensive coordinator in November after the firing of Shane Waldron. Brown then became interim head coach following the firing of Matt Eberflus on Nov. 29.

The 38-year-old Brown has yet to win a game as interim head coach, posting an 0-4 record. Overall, the Bears have lost 10 consecutive games following a 4-2 start.

There was plenty of excitement surrounding the team entering the 2024 campaign thanks largely to the arrival of No. 1 overall draft pick and franchise quarterback Caleb Williams.

Additionally, the Bears selected wide receiver Rome Odunze in the first round of the draft, acquired veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen in a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers and signed running back D'Andre Swift in free agency.

With so much talent around him, Williams was expected to hit the ground running, and while he has had his fair share of positive moments this season, the offense has struggled at times as well.

Chicago is 29th in the NFL in scoring with just 17.9 points per game and last in the league in total offense with 288.4 yards per game.

Still, the next head coach of the Bears will have something promising to work with, as Williams has completed 61.9 percent of his passes for 3,393 yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions, while also rushing for 479 yards during his debut campaign.

Given the investment the Bears made in Williams as their franchise quarterback, it seems likely that their head coaching decision will come down to who they believe can best develop the talented signal-caller.

Poles acknowledged that the results under Brown haven't been what he had hoped, but he praised the interim coach, saying he has been "so impressed with Thomas and his leadership."

The best fit for Chicago's head coaching job may well be Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who has guided the Lions to top-five ranks in scoring offense and total offense in each of the past three seasons.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported recently that Johnson is "intrigued" by the Bears' head coaching job and is willing to hear their pitch.

Brown may be able to help his own chances of landing the job Sunday if he can end the 2024 season on a high note by leading the Bears to a road win over the NFC North rival and playoff-bound Green Bay Packers.