Tag: Ted Phillips

8 takeaways from Bears president/CEO Kevin Warren’s introductory press conference

From the Arlington Heights property to championship expectations, here’s what we learned from Bears president/CEO Kevin Warren’s presser.

The Chicago Bears introduced new president and CEO Kevin Warren on Tuesday, where we got to hear from him for the first time since being hired.

Warren will replace current president and CEO Ted Phillips, who is retiring after 40 years with the organization, this spring.

Warren spoke for an hour, where he discussed a number of important topics, including the Arlington Heights stadium, his expectations for the Bears franchise and why he decided to take the job and leave his post as Big Ten Commissioner.

“Greatness is ahead of us” Warren said. “All we need to do now is go ahead and grasp it.”

Here’s what we learned from Warren’s first press conference:

Grading the Bears’ hiring of Kevin Warren as team president and CEO

The Bears could not have done much better than hiring Kevin Warren to be their next president. Here is our grade of the move.

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.

Bears release statements after hiring Kevin Warren as president/CEO

The Bears have made it official: Kevin Warren is the franchise’s new president and CEO. Read statements from George McCaskey and more:

The Chicago Bears have hired Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren as their new president/CEO.

Warren will replace Ted Phillips, who’s retiring after nearly 40 years with the Bears. Phillips has served as president/CEO since 1999.

Warren is the fifth president in the franchise’s 103-year history, where he follows in the footsteps of George Halas, George “Mugs” Halas Jr., Michael McCaskey and Phillips. Warren is also the Bears’ first Black president in history.

The Bears will introduce Warren as the new president/CEO in a press conference Tuesday at Noon CT.

Here’s what Bears chairman George McCaskey, GM Ryan Poles, Phillips and Warren himself had to say following the official announcement:

Twitter reacts to Bears hiring Kevin Warren as new president/CEO

The Bears are hiring Kevin Warren as their new president and CEO, which has both Bears and Big Ten fans celebrating.

The Chicago Bears have found their new president and CEO in Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren, according to a number of insiders.

An official announcement is expected later this week.

Warren will replace Ted Phillips, who’s retiring next month after spending 39 years with the Bears organization, including his current role since 1999.

Warren has 23 years of NFL experience, where he’s served in various roles dating back to 1997. That includes time with the Minnesota Vikings as executive vice president of legal affairs and chief administrative officer (2005-14) and chief operating officer (2015-19).

During his time with the Vikings, Warren played an integral role in the creation of U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016. With the Bears gearing up to make headway on their Arlington Heights stadium, Warren’s hiring makes too much sense.

As you can imagine, there’s plenty of reaction about Warren joining the Bears — both from the NFL and college side, where both Bears fans and Big Ten fans are celebrating the move.

Here’s how Twitter is reacting:

Bears name Kevin Warren as new president/CEO

The Bears have found Ted Phillips’ replacement in Kevin Warren, who is expected to be named the team’s new president/CEO.

The Chicago Bears are expected to name Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren as the their new president and CEO, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Warren will replace current president and CEO Ted Phillips, who’s retiring in February after 39 years with the Bears.

The move doesn’t came as too much of a surprise after a report surfaced that Warren had previously interviewed for the position and emerged as the frontrunner.

Warren has 21 years of NFL experience, where he’s served in various roles dating back to 1997. He’s worked with the Minnesota Vikings as their executive vice president of legal affairs and chief administrative officer from 2005-14 and their chief operating officer from 2015-19.

During his time with the Vikings, Warren played a huge role in the development of U.S. Bank Stadium in 2016. That’ll be huge as the Bears look to start developing a new stadium with their Arlington Heights property.

Meanwhile, Phillips has served as the Bears’ president and CEO since 1999, where he’s been integral in Soldier Field renovations in the early 2000s, as well as the purchasing of the Arlington Heights property in 2021.

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20 most memorable moments that defined the Bears in 2022

From a regime change in January to trades in October, here are the 20 moments that defined the Bears in 2022.

2022 has been quite the year for the Chicago Bears. It began with sweeping changes to the front office in January, leading to a mass exodus of veterans in March, and ultimately resulting in a team that’s battling for the No. 1 overall draft pick by the end of December.

But while the Bears entered into a rebuild in 2022, they also saw the growth of quarterback Justin Fields, who became one of the most electric players in the league.

From free agency drama to training camp holdouts, here are the 20 moments that defined the Bears in chronological order.

Bears and the Big Ten release separate statements regarding Kevin Warren

Bears and the Big Ten release separate statements regarding Kevin Warren.

The NFL and college football worlds were thrown for a loop when it was reported on Thursday by ESPN college insider Pete Thamel that Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren is considered a finalist to be the next team president/CEO of the Chicago Bears. The Bears are searching for a replacement for Ted Phillips, who announced over the summer he will retire early in 2023 after serving as the team’s president and CEO since 1999.

Shortly after the news broke, both the Bears and the Big Ten Conference have released statements regarding the reported interest of Warren.

Twitter reacts to Kevin Warren being named a finalist for the Bears next president/CEO

NFL fans and college football fans have mixed reactions about Kevin Warren possibly becoming the next Bears president/CEO.

The Chicago Bears appear to be close to finding a replacement for team president and CEO Ted Phillips, who plans to retire in early 2023 and they’re zeroing in on Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren.

According to ESPN college insider Pete Thamel, Warren is considered a finalist for the job and the process could be wrapped up within the next few weeks.

Warren has served as the Big Ten commissioner since 2020 and has been instrumental in expanding the conference with USC and UCLA set to join in 2024, while also spearheading a new TV deal for the conference. Warren also has been criticized for his handling of the shortened COVID-19 season in 2020 after he initially cancelled the season before bringing it back in October with a reduced schedule.

Prior to the Big Ten, Warren held various front office positions with the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, and St. Louis Rams. He’s on the shortlist to replace Phillips, who is retiring after 39 years with the organization, 23 of which were spent as team president and CEO.

The news of Warren’s potential hiring has sent shockwaves across both pro and college football. It could create a massive shift in both sports and fans have mixed reactions on the possible move.

Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren emerges as finalist to be Bears next President/CEO

Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren has emerged as a finalist to become the next Bears president/CEO, according to ESPN.

The Chicago Bears have quietly been interviewing and vetting candidates to replace the retiring Ted Phillips as team president and CEO and they may be zeroing in on one particular candidate.

According to ESPN college insider Pete Thamel, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren has emerged as a finalist for the job. He’s already interviewed for the position with the team and the process as a whole could be completed in early 2023.

Warren has held various positions within NFL front offices prior to becoming the commissioner of the Big Ten. He’s worked with the Minnesota Vikings as their executive vice president of legal affairs and chief administrative officer from 2005-2014, as well as their chief operating officer from 2015-2019. He also held titles with the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams prior to that in the 1990s and 2000s.

In 2020, Warren became commissioner of the Big Ten, the first African-American to hold such a title in any of the Power Five college conferences. Warren was instrumental in bringing over USC and UCLA to the Big Ten, which is scheduled to take place in 2024. Now, Warren could be returning to the NFL as Phillips’ replacement.

Phillips is retiring after 39 years with the Bears organization. He became team president and CEO in 1999 and spearheaded initiatives such as the Soldier Field renovations in the early 2000s and the agreement to purchase Arlington Park in 2021. Phillips also played a role in the massive renovations that took place at Halas Hall in the late 2010s with former general manager Ryan Pace.

The Bears have been quiet about their process to replace Phillips, who announced over the summer of his intentions to retire in 2023. Now with Warren emerging as a finalist, things could be wrapped up fairly soon with a new leader in place.

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Bears don’t anticipate retractable roof for enclosed Arlington Heights stadium

So long, Bear weather. The organization plans on an enclosed stadium (with no retractable roof) for its Arlington Heights property.

The Bears held a community meeting regarding the proposed Arlington Heights stadium on Thursday, where chairman George McCaskey, president/CEO Ted Phillips, senior vice president of marketing Scott Hagel, and senior vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion Tanesha Wade all spoke.

While they didn’t reveal specifics about the stadium, one thing they did discuss is whether the stadium will be enclosed or open.

So long, Bear weather. The organization plans on an enclosed stadium for its Arlington Heights property. They did research on the potential of a retractable roof, but Phillips said the costs are “prohibitive” and “the return isn’t there.”

Phillips explained why they want an enclosed stadium rather than an open one like Soldier Field. And his answer won’t surprise you in the slightest.

“It hopefully can attract major events like the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, concerts, Final Four,” Phillips said, via NBC Sports Chicago. “We don’t have a facility like that now.”

Phillips specifically referenced U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota as an example of an enclosed stadium that makes you feel like you’re outside.

The Bears are scheduled to close on the Arlington Park property in late 2022 or early 2023.

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