The Patriots spent Tuesday interviewing Chicago Bears interim coach Thomas Brown for their vacant post, MassLive confirmed. Brown was first promoted to offensive coordinator when the Bears fired Shane Waldron, and later was named interim head coach after Matt Eberflus was let go.

After a season of shoving Browns tight ends around, racing Jameis Winston in training camp and putting swim moves on Dawand Jones in his new role at left tackle, Mike Vrabel has flown the Browns coop as a consultant to become head coach of the New England Patriots.

Now, with O’Brien revitalizing BC and Vrabel looking to do the same with the Patriots, the area’s most prominent football teams are led by men who bonded in Foxborough.