Tag: Kevin Warren

Bears GM Ryan Poles is reportedly unhappy over his unofficial demotion which is so ironic

Ryan Poles doesn’t understand the Bears’ new power structure because he’s being a whiny child.

I want to make one thing clear before I say anything else.

In no way, shape, or form am I defending the current iteration of the Chicago Bears led by overmatched and overwhelmed George Halas scion, George McCaskey. In 14 years as Chicago’s chairman, McCaskey has ruined the reputation of the NFL’s charter franchise by overseeing the worst era in team history. Three of the five worst Bears coaches ever by winning percentage were hired under his guidance. In effect, McCaskey has demonstrated his milquetoast leadership is pathetic at worst and inept at best.

No organization led by this clear product of nepotism deserves the benefit of the doubt.

With that said, it’s quite amusing to hear that Bears general manager Ryan Poles is reportedly unhappy with Chicago’s new power structure. It’s as if he doesn’t understand the job he took in the first place. That, or he thinks he doesn’t deserve accountability.

According to Waddle and Silvy of ESPN1000 in Chicago, Poles doesn’t like that he now has to report to team president Kevin Warren. It’s “not a personal thing,” either. It’s that Poles apparently doesn’t like not reporting to McCaskey anymore, as he did in the 2.5 years before the Bears fired Poles’ hand-picked doofus coach, Matt Eberflus.

My guy. C’mon. Can we please have a modicum of self-awareness?

Let’s set aside the fact that the Bears have operated like this for years. Let’s ignore that they have usually emasculated their general manager while empowering a glorified accountant (I haven’t forgotten you, Ted Phillips!) who has no precedent of success at the professional level of football. Let’s also not forget that Poles was hired before Warren and even served on the 2023 search committee that brought Warren to the organization. They broke their own mold to let Poles have the reins to himself for once.

So, I don’t think Poles reporting to Warren now is all that outlandish. That’s because, for as much as I wouldn’t trust Warren to bring the Bears back to prominence, I trust Poles even less. I’m not sure I would trust Poles to dial the water temperature in a shower, much less build a Super Bowl-caliber team.

At the time of this writing, Poles’ Bears have a meager 14 wins in three seasons. They have never been relevant past Thanksgiving. After bungling the short-lived Justin Fields era, Chicago is now in serious danger of ruining an even better quarterback prospect in Caleb Williams — one of the biggest pillars of hope this franchise has seen in decades.

The Bears’ trademark incompetence aside, most of that lies at the feet of Poles.

Poles is the one who has made perplexing decisions in free agency time and time again. For example, he gave underwhelming linebacker Tremaine Edmunds just $3.2 million less guaranteed than perennial First-Team All-Pro Roquan Smith, who he traded to the Baltimore Ravens. Somewhere, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is still running past Edmunds in coverage.

Despite stockpiling salary cap room and assets he has yet to use in a productive fashion, Poles is the one who weirdly mortgaged part of the Bears’ future with an ill-advised, expensive trade for workout warrior receiver Chase Claypool. Surely, it’ll shock you to learn Claypool finished his Bears career with just 18 catches for 191 yards.

Poles is the one who once emphasized the importance of addressing the Bears’ trenches. We’re almost three years into his tenure, and the Bears still have zero building blocks on the offensive interior, even though they have the best quarterback talent they’ve ever had playing for them. The Bears are on pace to allow over 60 sacks this season. Good stuff!

To give Williams a red carpet for his early NFL career, Poles also helped empower ex-offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. The Bears’ offense has basically had no consistent rhythm for three months. It’s only looked occasionally good when Williams has played off-schedule because Waldron installed nothing coherent or sustainable. Now unemployed, Waldron will sooner get a job off LinkedIn before he’s entrusted to run another team’s offense again.

And don’t get me started on Poles’ drafting history. He has arguably left the cupboard more bare than any of his recent predecessors. The Bears are just as far away from competitive relevance now as when Poles took the job in 2022.

Gee, I wonder why Poles’ bosses moved around the chairs on the deck of their personal Titanic.

So forgive me if I want to play a tiny violin for one of the NFL’s worst general managers. He gets no sympathy from me. If Poles really is upset that he has to report to someone else now, he doesn’t understand how badly he executed his own convoluted rebuild plan. He has not earned the right to complain.

Frankly, he’s lucky he still has his job.

Report: Arlington Heights remains in contention for Bears stadium

According to Mark Carman, the Bears have made “progress” with Arlington Heights regarding a stadium deal.

The Chicago Bears’ search for a new stadium site continues despite the organization’s public plans to build on the Chicago lakefront next to Soldier Field.

While it seemed like Arlington Heights, the 326-acre property the organization purchased last year, was out of the running due to property tax issues, that doesn’t appear to be the case.

According to CHGO’s Mark Carman, the Bears have made “progress” with Arlington Heights and the school district board in regards to getting a stadium deal in place.

Source: The Bears have made progress in their discussions with Arlington Heights and the school district board for their stadium deal. The belief is that Kevin Warren’s timeline to get a deal done remains aggressive.

Carman provided an update regarding the team finding a resolution with property taxes and Arlington Heights officials are still optimistic that the Bears will choose to build there — although the organization remains publicly committed to building on the lakefront.

Update: Bears continue to work towards a resolution regarding property taxes with school board and Arlington Heights on the land they own. AH remains hopeful Bears will build their new stadium there. The Bears maintain their stadium focus remains on the museum campus in Chicago.

“I’m confident at the correct time that we will come together to figure out a stadium solution,” president/CEO Kevin Warren said, via NBC Sports Chicago, earlier this month.

While the public goal remains to find a resolution in building a new stadium on the Chicago lakefront, Arlington Heights could very well be an answer.

WATCH: Kiran Amegadjie reacts to getting drafted by the Bears

Kiran Amegadjie had his dreams come true when he heard he was getting drafted by his hometown team, the Chicago Bears.

A dream came true for Kiran Amegadjie on Friday night when he received the call from his hometown team, the Chicago Bears. The offensive tackle from Yale was drafted by the Bears with the No. 75 overall pick in the third round, giving the offense a long lineman who can potentially develop into a starter. Amegadjie hails from Hinsdale, a suburb just outside Chicago, and made it clear this was a dream come true.

Here is how the call went when Amegadjie spoke with general manager Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus, and president Kevin Warren.

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Poles began the call asking him the most important question: “You want to be a Chicago Bear?” Amegadjie couldn’t help but smile. “I would love to.” Eberflus then reminded him about the time they met a year ago out golfing. “A year ago, you said you were going to come to the Chicago Bears. You were right, huh?” Eberflus asked. “I told you coach, I told you,” Amegadjie said. “Tell your dad he’s got a new golf partner,” Eberflus replied.

After Warren finished the call, Amegadjie’s draft party exploded into cheers and screams. The die-hard Bears fan was coming home, and he heard it first from the team front office.

WATCH: QB Caleb Williams gets the draft call from the Bears

Caleb Williams and Ryan Poles could not contain their excitement when the draft call was finally made.

There’s nothing like that one phone call at the NFL Draft that changes a player’s life forever. For quarterback Caleb Williams, he knew for a while that the call was going to come from the Chicago Bears at No. 1 overall.

The worst-kept secret in the NFL finally became a reality on Thursday when the Bears made Williams their top selection in the draft. The USC star becomes the next franchise quarterback of the Bears, and he is set to usher in a new era of football in the Windy City.

The team made sure to show how the call went between Williams and general manager Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus, and team president Kevin Warren. Poles didn’t hide his excitement about how long he’s been waiting to make this call.

“Who is this?” Poles joked with Williams as they both laughed. “They told me to hold it for five minutes. I told everyone I’ve been holding it for a month.” Williams commented that he had been waiting longer than that. “Five months,” he said with a smile.

Eberflus couldn’t hold back his excitement either. “This day is going to go down as an iconic day in Bears history, my friend,” he said to Williams. He even told his new quarterback that he loved him.

Warren then made sure to acknowledge that he and the Bears are going to cross a few more items off Williams’ list that he has on his phone. “You can mark this next one off your list that you have; the next one we got to do is win a championship.”

All throughout the call, Williams couldn’t stop smiling and biting his lip as to what the next chapter of his life was about to be like. The newest Bears quarterback is excited for what’s to come, and his journey is just beginning.

The Bears held an awkward prayer before asking the public to help fund their $4.6 billion new stadium

The Bears aren’t even pretending to respect their fans.

It is not enough that the Chicago Bears are asking the public for roughly $2.3 billion for a new stadium on the Chicago lakefront. They also have to be impossibly brazen and blatantly disrespectful about it, too.

On Wednesday, before they officially requested that Chicago taxpayers foot half the bill on their giant unnecessary toy in a press conference, the Bears began the session with an awkward prayer in a video from Fox Chicago posted by a Twitter user.

Yes, that is not a parody in the least. Yes, that actually happened. Yes, this is real life. Yes, the Bears clearly think extremely little of their fans if they’re pulling shameless stunts like this:

I was already beside myself that the Bears were going to ask Chicago taxpayers to give them a lot of money they don’t have themselves. But to use religion in any context to try and use regular people as a piggy bank is beyond the pale. It is a new low I did not see coming but probably should’ve expected.

Owner George McCaskey should be thoroughly embarrassed by this display.

Featured image courtesy of Fox Chicago.

LOOK: Renderings for Bears’ proposed new lakefront stadium in Chicago

Take a look at the renderings for the Bears’ proposed new stadium on the Chicago lakefront.

The Chicago Bears unveiled plans for a domed lakefront stadium Wednesday during a presentation at Soldier Field.

It is a $4.6 billion project, according to the Sun-Times. On top of $2 billion from the team, additional stadium funds would come via NFL loan request ($300 million) and an Illinois Sports Facilities Authority bond request ($900 million), which brings it to a total of $3.225 billion. The rest would contribute to infrastructure. The organization said it would be 72% funded by them and the NFL.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said the building of a new Bears stadium will “result in no new taxes on the residents of Chicago.”

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“This is not an easy project, but Chicago doesn’t like it easy,” said Bears president/CEO Kevin Warren. “We like to do the difficult things … the things that resonate with people for generations to come.”

The project would require approval from the state, however, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker has expressed skepticism that a stadium project should involve taxpayer dollars.

The Bears shared renderings depicting a stadium atop the current South Parking lot of Soldier Field. The renderings feature an all-glass roof, keeping the historic colonnades in place. Te design shares some similarities with Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas) and U.S. Bank Stadium (Minnesota).

Here are the renderings, along with a video, via ChicagoBears.com.

Bears still not interested in being featured on ‘Hard Knocks’

Bears chairman George McCaskey hasn’t changed his stance on “Hard Knocks.”

The Chicago Bears are once again eligible to be featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series, which offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into an NFL team during training camp and preseason.

Bears chairman George McCaskey has previously made his feelings clear on the matter: He’s not interested in “Hard Knocks,” which many feel would be a distraction.

But with new president Kevin Warren in place, you have to wonder if the organization’s position has changed. According to the Chicago Tribune, when Warren was asked Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings whether there was interest in doing “Hard Knocks,” he chuckled.

“That’s always interesting,” Warren said. “I have interests in making sure that the NFL stays strong and vibrant.”

While Warren didn’t exactly say “no” in his response, McCaskey later offered a firm “no” in response to whether his own stance on “Hard Knocks” had changed.

The Bears are one of three teams that can be forced into doing “Hard Knocks,” which also includes the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints. When looking at those three teams, there’s little doubt Chicago would be the most attractive option for the NFL.

They’re ushering in a new era with projected No. 1 pick Caleb Williams, they have a young, ascending defense, they’re looking to make that next step to contend for the playoffs and they’re one of 10 teams never featured on the show before.

“We’re told there is some interest in other teams being on the program,” McCaskey said. “And we welcome that interest.”

At this point, a team volunteering appears to be McCaskey’s best bet of getting the Bears out of “Hard Knocks.”

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Bears president Kevin Warren shares his thoughts on Justin Fields trade

Bears president Kevin Warren talked about trading Justin Fields and its reflection on GM Ryan Poles.

“What will the Chicago Bears do with Justin Fields?” That was the question that reverberated from the fanbase and through Halas Hall in the twilight of 2023 season and beyond, dominating all conversation as the clock ticked closer to draft day.

The Bears have been transfixed with USC phenom Caleb Williams ever since the team had a firm grasp of the number overall selection of the 2024 NFL draft, but their clear intention to select him with the pick left an odd man out in the QB room. Would the team retain Fields and allow him to compete with his rookie counterpart in training camp? Or would the team part ways with the talented dual-threat QB, giving him a chance to start somewhere else?

The latter was the route the Bears took. Chicago shipped Fields off to Pittsburgh in exchange for a conditional 2025 sixth-round pick that could be a fourth based on his playing time, closing the book on the Fields era in Chicago. The move was met with frustration from some fans, bemoaning the little amount of compensation the Bears received, but general manager Ryan Poles made it clear that it was Fields’ wish to go to Pittsburgh. Poles emphasized that Fields would have a say throughout the whole prolonged process, and that ended up being true in the end.

Bears president Kevin Warren voiced his approval of the deal when speaking with the media at the NFL owners meetings, specifically praising Poles for staying true to his word.

“I’m glad we were able to do right by (Fields),” Warren said. “And that was another critical data point to show you who Ryan Poles is. That he’s going to build this (team) with integrity and class and when he says he cares about people and players.”

Warren spoke at length about Fields, saying that he believes that Pittsburgh was the right place for him.

“One of the things I appreciated the most is that we wanted to do right by Justin, and Pittsburgh was the best trade destination for him,” Warren said. “And I think in the long term, if you do right by people… those things come back to you in ways you really hasn’t planned… I wish him well. And I say that sincerely.”

It’s quite the breath of fresh air to see the organization so unified in their beliefs, as the Bears’ front office has been notoriously rigid in the last couple of decades. They were in lockstep when handling the Fields dilemma, and it seems that they are dedicated to hitting a home-run with the number one pick next month. There’s much work to be done before Chicago is ready to be a serious playoff contender, but communication between the higher-ups is something the Bears have gotten right thus far.

 

Bears president Kevin Warren says intention is to build new stadium on lakefront

Bears president Kevin Warren spoke at the owners meetings on Tuesday and says he intents to break ground on a new stadium on the lakefront.

The Chicago Bears’ stadium saga continues to roll on, with little action taking place. The team is at an impasse with Arlington Heights and the 326-acre property they purchased over a year ago, and reports came out two weeks ago that indicate they have their sights set on a new stadium near Soldier Field.

On Tuesday, president Kevin Warren confirmed that the team intends to build a new stadium on the lakefront.

Warren met with reporters during the 2024 NFL owners meetings in Orlando, Florida, and was asked by CHGO’s Adam Hoge whether the Bears intended to build a new stadium in Chicago if everything came together. Warren didn’t mince words.

“The plan would be to put a shovel in the ground on the lakefront,” he said.

Ever since he was hired as team president and CEO, Warren has expressed his affinity for the city of Chicago. Last August, in an interview with Peter King, Warren talked about the possible options for a stadium location and couldn’t stop gushing about Chicago and its lakefront.

“God really kissed downtown Chicago with that lakefront,” Warren said via NBC Sports Chicago. “I don’t think there’s any place in the country that has that beauty of a city right upon a beautiful lake in Lake Michigan.”

The vision for a new stadium just south of Soldier Field comes after the difficulties the Bears have had with the Arlington Park property. Disagreements surrounding the proposed tax assessments have stalled progress, and even after the village recently proposed a fair compromise that would lower the current tax rate, the Bears are making their intentions clear.

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Bears prepared to provide $2 billion in private funding for new lakefront stadium to replace Soldier Field

The Chicago Bears are closer to staying in the city than ever before.

The Chicago Bears are closer to staying in the city than ever before.

According to the Chicago Tribune’s Robert McCoppin, the Bears are preparing to provide $2 billion in private funding for a new publicly owned enclosed stadium on the lakefront that would replace Soldier Field.

This lakefront site, which would be in the area of Waldron Drive (just south of Soldier Field), would replace the current stadium while also increasing open space on the museum campus by 20 percent. It would give the Bears an idea location to host the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four and other big events.

While this new state-of-the-art stadium would replace Soldier Field, the project would include saving the Soldier Field colonnade in honor of veterans.

“The future stadium of the Chicago Bears will bring a transformative opportunity to our region — boosting the economy, creating jobs, facilitating mega events and generating millions in tax revenue,” Bears president Kevin Warren said in a statement. “We look forward to sharing more information when our plans are finalized.”

Just over a year ago, the Bears purchased the Arlington International Racecourse site with plans to build a new state-of-the-art stadium. But disagreement on increased property taxes have stalled matters, and the focus has shifted to a new stadium on the Chicago lakefront.