Chargers to give coordinator interview to underrated McVay, Vrabel understudy

With the Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator position open, head coach Jim Harbaugh mentioned that he wants to cast a wide net when looking for the replacement for the recently fired Greg Roman.

This is seemingly in full play with the Chargers interviewing multiple different candidates both internal and external. One of the most intriguing candidates is Patriots passing game coordinator Thomas Brown.

Offensive coordinator candidate Thomas Brown's coach history

Thomas Brown was drafted in the sixth-round in the 2008 NFL draft. He did not record any official statistics as a player, but with his experience being around NFL players, teams and coaches, he was ready to get his very own career started. Thomas Brown first started coaching in 2011 as a strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater, Georgia.

From 2012-2015, Brown found himself bouncing around different colleges as their respective running backs coach, where he eventually found his breakthrough in 2016, being hired by Miami as their offensive coordinator and running backs coach. He served in this role until 2018. He then went to South Carolina to once again coach running backs for a season.

Finally, in 2020, Brown found himself in the NFL once again, this time as a coach. He joined Sean McVay's coaching staff as the running backs coach. In 2021 and 2022, he stuck around with the Los Angeles Rams, coaching running backs in 21' and tight ends in 22'. In both of these seasons, he also earned the assistant head coach title. A prestigious role considering McVay's success during this time.

The 2023 season yielded an offensive coordinator role for Brown, getting two separate opportunities to call plays during the season. This was due to the then head coach, Frank Reich's want to give up play calls, which did not last long as he returned the duties soon after. Reich was then fired a few weeks later, giving Brown the opportunity to resume play-calling.

#Patriots passing game coordinator Thomas Brown, who is a HC candidate with the #AZCardinals, is expected to interview for the #Chargers OC job, source said.

Brown had worked with Sean McVay and Mike Vrabel, helping NE be the third-ranked passing offense. pic.twitter.com/btp07joRHm
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 18, 2026

The Panthers, with a rookie QB, ranked second-to-last in points scored. While an obviously bad mark on Brown's resume, a crumbling team with a failed head coach and rookie QB season, does not all fall on the first-time playcaller. Even with all the struggles, Brown was still voted the No. 2 offensive coordinator in an NFLPA survey.

2024 had Brown go to the Chicago Bears, where somehow his season was even more tumultous then his last. Brown was hired as the passing game coordinator. He stepped into the offensive coordinator role shortly into the season, due to the Bears' offense crumbling under offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. After that promotion, he once again became an interim, this time as the Head Coach of the Chicago Bears. This was due to the firing of then-head coach Matt Eberflus.

Brown went 1-4 during his time as the interim head coach. While not extremely impressive, the circumstances around Brown disallowed much of any success from happening. Quite reminiscent of his Panthers stint.

Going into 2025, Brown has shown that he is a good NFL-caliber coach, but needs to continue his development to raise very poor situations into better ones. He finally goes to a competent NFL team in 2025, the New England Patriots, serving as the teams' passing game coordinator.

The Patriots had the fourth best passing offense, doing so without an elite offensive line and elite weapons. Showing that with just some competency, Brown can be a strong NFL coach.

Chargers set to interview Thomas Brown for their offensive coordinator position

The Chargers saw this long, up-and-down resume from Brown and decided to give him an interview for their vacant offensive coordinator job. Ian Rapoport posted on social media the Chargers interest in him, also noting they have competition with the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals actually interviewed Brown for their vacant Head Coaching job, giving them the leg-up in the running. If they were to go a different direction, the Chargers should genuinely consider hiring Brown due to his resiliency, experience in multiple roles, and seemingly likability among NFL players.

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