The Chicago Bears have a new voice at the top of their organization. After rumors swirled the last couple of weeks, the Bears made the official announcement that Kevin Warren will become the new team president and CEO.
Warren comes to the Bears after spending the last few years as the commissioner of the Big Ten. He’s also held front office positions with the St. Louis Rams, Detroit Lions, and Minnesota Vikings spanning the ’90s into the 2010s. Warren becomes the fifth president in team history, taking over for Ted Phillips who will retire at some point this year.
The decision to hire Warren sends a message that the Bears are going in a new direction with their team. He’s the first president with prior football-related experience outside of the Bears organization and should bring a fresh perspective as they look to forge ahead in new business ventures, most notably the new stadium project in Arlington Heights.
Here is our initial grade of the hiring.