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: