The Bears have interviewed Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren to be the team's next president and CEO, a source confirmed to NBC Sports Chicago. ESPN's Pete Thamel was the first to report that the Bears had interviewed Warren and consider him a "strong candidate."
The Bears released this statement after Warren's name hit the internet.
But if Warren is the Bears' choice to be Ted Phillips' successor, that would make perfect sense.
Warren, 59, broke into the NFL in 1997 when he was hired by then-St. Louis Rams head coach Dick Vermeil to be the Vice President of Player Programs/Football Legal Counsel. He held that position until 2000 when he was promoted to Vice President of Football Administration.
After a stint with the Detroit Lions and back in the corporate world, Warren joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2005. In 2015, Warren was promoted to Chief Operating Officer, overseeing all business aspects for the Vikings, including the quest for a new stadium.
Warren was integral in helping the Vikings build U.S. Bank Stadium. The Bears are currently in escrow on the purchase of 326 acres at Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights, where they hope to build the future home of the Bears. The Bears hope to close on the property in early 2023 before Phillips' tenure ends.
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Warren's experience navigating the planning and execution of a new NFL stadium must be attractive to the Bears. U.S. Bank Stadium is viewed as one of the top venues in the league and is a stadium the Bears could look to model their future stadium after in Arlington Heights.
Should Warren eventually be the Bears' choice, he would represent a change in philosophy for the franchise.
Phillips is just the fourth president in team history and is the first not to be related to founder George Halas.
Warren would represent a decision to branch out and bring new perspectives and ideas to Halas Hall.
As Big Ten commissioner, Warren shifted the bedrock of college football by poaching USC and UCLA from the Pac-12 and adding them to the Big Ten starting in 2024.
Warren is a forward-thinking executive who could help bring the Bears into the modern NFL world. Obviously, Warren's past history overseeing the creation of U.S. Bank Stadium and his experience in the front office with the Super Bowl-winning Rams are huge pluses on his resume.
The Bears have been searching for their next president since the summer. It's no surprise that Warren was interviewed or is a finalist. He would check several important boxes for the Bears and perhaps signal the start of a new way of thinking at Halas Hall.