Thomas Brown, whom the NFL Players Association deemed the league’s second-best offensive coordinator in a poll of its players earlier this month, is close to joining the Bears as a passing game coordinator, a source confirmed Tuesday night.

Brown would be the most high-profile Bears addition of the offseason; he interviewed with the Panthers for their head coaching job earlier this month and with the Texans for the same job last year.

He spent 2023 as the Panthers’ offensive coordinator, calling plays for part of the season.

He has a connection with new Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron . The two worked together; he was the Rams’ running backs coach in 2020 when Waldron served as the passing game coordinator. Brown was promoted to assistant head coach in 2021 and moved from running backs coach to tight ends coach in 2022 before joining the Panthers.

The 37-year-old played running back at Georgia and served as a college coach from 2011-19.