No decisions have been made yet. However, based on the announcement, it sounds like Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren is the current favorite to succeed Ted Phillips as team president of the Chicago Bears. It was a surprise to many. The feeling is the Big Ten job is more prestigious. Arguably it’s the most powerful job in college football. Warren had done some impressive work over the past year, securing an $8 billion TV deal and landing both UCLA and USC in an expansion move.
It feels like the man is on top of the world. So why move? Adam Hoge and Adam Jahns got some answers to that when they spoke with colleague Matt Fortuna of The Athletic on the Hoge & Jahns podcast. Fortuna covers college football and has a good grasp of what is happening behind the scenes. He revealed some fascinating details on why Warren likes the Bears job.
Before heading to the Big Ten in 2020, Warren spent 22 years in the NFL between the Rams, Lions, and Vikings. It makes sense he’d want to return there at some point. President of the Bears is as prestigious a position as he could ask for. It also might be a stepping stone to making history as the first-ever black NFL commissioner.
Kevin Warren knows the blueprint for building a winner.
He joined the Rams at their lowest point in 1997 as a legal counsel. He watched that team ascend to a Super Bowl championship two years later, becoming the Greatest Show on Turf. Then he earned a high position with the Minnesota Vikings in 2005. The franchise was in the midst of an ownership change around that time. He navigated the waters beautifully and helped them reach the NFC championship four years later. His efforts were essential in them building U.S. Bank Stadium, one of the most widely-respected buildings in the NFL.
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The man is experienced and ambitious. Those are not bad traits to have when running a football organization. He isn’t going to intercede on roster decisions. That won’t be his job. He will do everything possible to ensure Ryan Poles always has the resources necessary to make the Bears a success. Nobody can say for sure if Kevin Warren would be a can’t-miss hire. Still, it can be said the team would be hard-pressed to find somebody more qualified.
What i see is a someone that will help with the Arlington move and be an asset.
Warren may be an upgrade from Phillips, and he did negotiate some good facilities and TV contracts. But he was horrible in dealing with covid compared to leaders of other conferences. Might be a better fit at team attorney than team prez.
Kevin Warren sure sounds like a good choice for the Bears. He has an impressive list of career achievements. Including when he helped the Minnesota Vikings with their stadium.
I personally was intrigued by Trace Armstrong as team pres, but that was before they hired Poles. Armstrong probably would’ve wanted his own GM/coach combo, most likely since he was a player before becoming a super agent for coaches. (I wonder if Poles had anyone other than “I’m just a fan” George McCaskey to answer to, would he have been able to give away a premium pick in the middle of a teardown for a guy that doesn’t seem to be worth it? Pittsburgh put up with Antonio Brown!! How bad did Claypool have to be for them to cut… Read more »
If he wants it, sign him in a heartbeat! What a huge upgrade in football knowledge this guy has over Ted Phillips.