It means a lot that the Detroit Lions are looking for offensive coordinators outside of the building for the first time since Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes were hired.

So far, they’ve interviewed six candidates, but surprisingly, one guy hasn’t been interviewed by the Lions. That’s Patriots passing game coordinator/tight ends coach Thomas Brown. Here’s why that’s a bit surprising.

Connection with Jared Goff and Brad Holmes

Brown was on the Rams coaching staff when Jared Goff and Brad Holmes were there. He was the Rams’ running backs coach before adding the title of assistant head coach. He spent three seasons on Sean McVay’s coaching staff and helped get a lot out of the Rams’ run game.

That right there is another reason why Brown makes sense. The Lions want to be a run-focused team. Brown, along with Tashard Choice and Scottie Montgomery, could be a good trio to help with that.

The Lions have seen what kind of coordinator and coach he can be up close and personal

Brown was the Bears’ offensive coordinator in 2024 after Chicago fired Shane Waldron. Then, a short period later, he took over as interim head coach, and the Bears started to get better. Ask Dan Campbell, he’ll tell you.

“I think more of it is about the procedure of it over the last two games. Just some of the things they’re doing, a little bit more shifts, motion, pre-snap, perfect play, and so, it’s that,” Campbell said about Brown at the time. “Now, this will be their first road game with him calling it and doing things just a tick different, so that’ll be interesting, but they’re doing well, and Thomas is doing – he’s calling a couple of good games, man, and they’re putting up yards, they’re converting on third down, and they’re having success.”

Brown has had two shots to be an offensive coordinator in the NFL. Both times were with rookie quarterbacks and head coaches who got fired. I don’t think it’s fair to judge him on either of those.

Tight end coach experience

The Lions just lost their tight ends coach, Tyler Roehl, to Iowa State, and they need to hire someone new. Not that Brown would be both the OC and tight ends coach, it’s still good to have a guy who has been a tight ends coach for the Rams and Patriots on board for a team that relies on their tight ends to do big things for them.

Brown is getting head coach interviews

Brown is still considered someone to watch in the NFL. During this cycle, he’s interviewed for the Arizona Cardinals head coach job. This at least shows that Brown is not just some guy. The league trusts him.

The Cardinals trust him enough to consider making him a head coach. It’s worth it for the Lions to have him in for an interview, especially if they wind up getting in a position where they lose out on all their top candidates. That is seriously possible.

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Mike Payton