Thomas Brown saw what most of us missed. While national media spent Caleb Williams’ rookie year questioning whether the Bears had blown the No. 1 pick, the coach who worked closest with him never wavered.
“I knew for sure,” Brown told PFSN on location at the Super Bowl in San Francisco. “I mean, he’s an elite talent.”
Brown, now the Patriots’ tight ends coach and pass game coordinator, spent 2024 watching Williams endure the most scrutinized rookie season in recent memory. He was there as the Bears cycled through Shane Waldron’s firing, Matt Eberflus’s dismissal, and the kind of organizational dysfunction that would bury most young quarterbacks. He saw Williams take 68 sacks, a league-high. He also saw something else.
Why Thomas Brown Never Lost Faith in Williams
The confidence isn’t revisionist history. Brown took over as offensive coordinator midseason when Waldron was fired, then became interim head coach after Thanksgiving. In those final weeks, Williams flashed the traits that would define his second year.
“The ability to be able to extend plays, avoid sacks, great with his legs, and obviously make some phenomenal throws in clutch time is what we always knew about him,” Brown said. “I think the more experience he gets, the more guys you build around him, the more he’s in a consistent system, I think the results will continue to provide for them.”
The results did more than provide. Williams threw for 3,942 yards in 2025, breaking Erik Kramer’s 30-year franchise record. According to PFSN’s QB Impact Score, he graded at 76.1 with a C rating, ranking 20th among quarterbacks this season. The efficiency metrics reveal room for improvement: his 58.1% completion rate ranked 47th, and his 6.60 net YPA ranked No. 20. But the volume and playmaking ability were undeniable. Williams finished seventh in passing yards (3,942), sixth in touchdowns (27), and fifth in pass attempts (568).
He also added 388 rushing yards on 77 attempts, both ranking seventh and eighth among quarterbacks, respectively. His seven interceptions ranked a respectable No. 25, showing improved ball security from his rookie year. The 38.9% conversion rate on third and fourth downs (No. 18) underscores his clutch gene, the same trait that fueled those seven fourth-quarter comebacks.
Brown’s formula proved prophetic: experience, surrounding talent, and system consistency. Ben Johnson delivered all three.
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What makes Brown’s perspective unique isn’t just proximity. It’s timing. He watched Williams at rock bottom and identified the foundation that everyone else overlooked. The arm talent was obvious. The mobility was apparent. But Brown saw the mental wiring that would eventually click.
“It was very obvious he had no fear at all,” Brown said of Williams during their time together in Chicago. “Which is the way we want to have him play.”
Drake Maye Connection
Brown isn’t comparing his two young quarterbacks. When asked to contrast Williams and Drake Maye, he deflected.
“Yeah, I don’t compare them at all. I’m not really big into comparisons because every player, coach situation is going to be different,” Brown said. “But I think they’re both obviously super talented young players at the quarterback position. They have an opportunity to extend plays, be accurate with the ball, great arm talent.”
The parallel is still instructive. Maye’s MVP-caliber second season has helped New England jump from 4-13 to 14-3. Hunter Henry finished the regular season with 60 receptions, 768 yards, and seven touchdowns under Brown’s direction. The Patriots are two wins from a Super Bowl.
Brown learned something valuable from his Bears experience, even amid the chaos. He came to New England emphasizing the importance of foundation.
“Obviously the role I was in last year, first being the pass game coordinator and becoming an interim OC and becoming an interim head coach, it obviously reinforces the intent behind how you start things, how you enforce things, and trying to build consistency,” Brown said. “It was obviously a really good experience overall.”
Brown’s path from Bears dysfunction to Patriots contention validates his evaluation skills. He saw Williams clearly when others couldn’t. He’s building something similar with Maye. And he’s proving that the best talent evaluators don’t just identify ability. They recognize the trajectory.
Williams validated Brown’s faith in the most public way possible. The quarterback who took 68 sacks as a rookie transformed into the quarterback who set franchise records. The coach who believed in him first has moved on to prove it wasn’t a fluke.
