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The Chicago Bears have made a final decision on interim head coach Thomas Brown and his status on Ben Johnson’s new coaching staff amid speculation.
According to The Athletic’s Adam Jahns, the Bears will not retain Brown in any capacity on Johnson’s initial coaching staff for the 2025 NFL season after multiple staff changes forced him to play multiple roles throughout his first — and only — season in Chicago.
The Bears also indirectly announced the decision, removing Brown from their list of coaches on their official team website along with other coaches who were not retained. The team will expectedly issue a formal announcement about staffing changes when Johnson has finalized his new coaching staff — or has at least filled the major roles.
Brown joined the Bears’ coaching staff in 2023 as a passing game coordinator under former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, but he received a promotion to the OC job when the team fired Waldron after just nine games. Three weeks later, the Bears booted head coach Matt Eberflus and promoted Brown again to interim head coach, but he had difficulty replicating the same offensive success that he found in his three weeks as OC.
The Bears did interview Brown for their head coaching vacancy, but they elected to hire Johnson — the former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator — to fill the position instead, casting doubt on Brown’s chances of returning to the team in some capacity for 2025.
According to NFL Network, Brown has also interviewed with the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks for their offensive coordinator jobs. Neither post is filled yet.
Bears Cutting Ties With Multiple Offensive Coaches
Brown is the most notable offseason coaching departure for the Bears given how he rapidly climbed the ranks for the Bears throughout their tumultuous 2024 season, but he is not the only coach from Eberflus’ staff who will not return for the 2025 season.
According to Jahns, the Bears will also not return interim offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Chris Beatty, offensive line coach Chris Morgan, quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph or defensive coordinator Eric Washington on Johnson’s 2025 staff.
Little is surprising about the Bears cutting loose their offensive coaches. Johnson is an offensive-minded coach and will presumably have his own ideas for how to build out his 2025 staff on his preferred side of the ball. He could even bring one of his colleagues with him from Detroit, perhaps even Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley.
Washington’s departure is also predictable. Eberflus hand-selected him to become his new defensive coordinator during the 2024 offseason after Alan Williams resigned from the position midway through the 2023 campaign over inappropriate activity. He even received play-calling opportunities after Eberflus’ firing, but his defense struggled.
Additionally, Bears beat writer Nicholas Moreano reported that running backs coach Chad Morton and nickelbacks coach David Overstreet are also out for next season.
Ben Johnson Eyeing Multiple Candidates for DC Job
The Bears have made some final decisions on previous coaches, but Johnson is also hard at work trying to secure new coaches for his inaugural staff in Chicago.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Bears have requested to interview two candidates for their defensive coordinator vacancy: Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach and passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant and Minnesota Vikings passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter has also reported that former New Orleans Saints head coach and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is a “leading candidate” for the job.
Beyond external hires, Johnson has also decided to retain Richard Hightower as the team’s special teams coordinator for a fourth consecutive season in 2025. According to 9News’ Mike Klis, he elected to stay with Hightower after initially showing an interest in Darren Rizzi — the interim coach for the Saints after Allen’s firing in November.
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