The two coaches who ran the Bears this season as they spiraled to a 5-12 record and another last-place finish in the NFC North appear to be headed to new jobs.

The Cowboys plan to hire Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator, and the Patriots are expected to sign Thomas Brown as passing-game coordinator and tight ends coach, NFL Network reported.

Eberflus’ move sets him up for a return to Soldier Field, as the Bears will host the Cowboys next season.

Eberflus, 52, went 14-32 as Bears head coach before they fired him in November. He was with the Cowboys as the linebackers coach and passing-game coordinator from 2011 through ’17 before spending the next four seasons as defensive coordinator for the Colts. He also was defensive coordinator at Missouri for eight seasons.

Eberflus spent most of his tenure with the Bears as their defensive play caller, and they finished 32nd, 20th and 13th in points allowed in his three seasons as coach.

The Falcons and Bengals also interviewed Eberflus for defensive coordinator.

Brown, 38, is a rising star in coaching and was the Bears’ interim coach for the final five games this season after they fired Eberflus. He began the season as their passing-game coordinator before stepping in as offensive coordinator when they fired Shane Waldron in mid-November and eventually took over for Eberflus. He went 1-4 as interim coach, but ended the Bears’ 11-game losing streak to the Packers by winning at Lambeau Field in the season finale.

Brown originally was a candidate for the Bears’ offensive coordinator job and has had multiple head-coaching interviews in the last few offseasons. Before the Bears, he had been offensive coordinator for the Panthers (2023) and the University of Miami (2016 through ’18), plus he was an assistant head coach to Sean McVay with the Rams (2021 and ’22).

Brown interviewed for the Bears’ head-coaching vacancy before they hired former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Johnson released him from his contract and chose Broncos tight ends coach Declan Doyle as his offensive coordinator.

Johnson also hired former Raiders and Saints coach Dennis Allen as defensive coordinator and retained special-teams coordinator Richard Hightower.