NFL Insider thinks Kevin Warren is motivated to bring ‘his own guys in there’
NFL Insider thinks Kevin Warren is motivated to bring ‘his own guys in there’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
When the Bears brought in former Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren to become the organization’s new CEO/President, pundits’ minds jumped to one thing: stadium.
The mind behind the Minnesota Vikings’ U.S. Bank Stadium, it became clear the Bears wanted Warren to be the leader for their stadium endeavors. Since then, Warren’s taken the reigns, succeeding Ted Phillips for the project.
But, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, Warren wants a more significant role on the football side of the Bears. In Breer’s opinion, Warren might be motivated to put his foot down and make pivotal decisions for the team.
“I think it’s trending toward Matt Eberflus not being back, and that in part is due to Kevin Warren’s influence in the organization. He did not hire Ryan Poles, he did not hire Matt Eberflus, and I think he’s motivated to see what he can do with his own guys in there. I’ve also heard that Kevin Warren wants to be more involved on the football side,” Breer said in his most recent mailbag.
That would be quite the development.
Remember, Warren is technically the leader of football operations. Chairman George McCaskey took that role near Phillips’ retirement. But after the Bears hired Warren, it was clear to McCaskey the title should belong to Warren.
“Ted (Phillips) had told me about his intention to retire and we just felt with all that he was taking on with the stadium and so forth and his impending retirement, that it was best to have the general manager report to me,” McCaskey said in January. “When we assessed Kevin’s strengths as an executive, it just made perfect sense to me to go back to the general manager reporting to the president and CEO.”
Warren is brand new to the organization. As Breer mentioned, he didn’t hire Eberflus and he didn’t hire Poles. Since that duo took over the organization, things haven’t progressed. The duo’s record since taking over is 6-22.
It wouldn’t be an out-of-left-field move to clear house, either. At least, from Eberflus’ perspective, he’s experienced enough to deserve him relief from his duties as head coach. Here’s a quick review of happenings under his leadership from this season.
The Bears have blown some inexcusable leads. Just last game, the Bears blew a 12-point lead with less than five minutes to play against the Detroit Lions. They blew a 21-point lead, also, to the Denver Broncos at home in Week 4. To open the season, they didn’t blow a lead but were blown out by the Packers, 38-20.
Alan Williams, the team’s defensive coordinator to start the season, unexpectedly resigned from the team. Later, the Bears fired running backs coach David Walker because he didn’t meet the organization’s standards. Both were hired by Eberflus.
And, maybe the top bullet point, he hasn’t succeeded in elevating Justin Fields to the next level. Is that all of his fault? No. But he certainly shoulders responsibility on the matter, considering he also hired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who hasn’t helped him significantly from a play-calling perspective.
On Wednesday, Eberflus was asked about the pressure he’s under to prove to Warren and the organization that he’s the right guy for the job.
“Yeah, I could see progress. And I told the player in the meeting that we can show ‘em that,” Eberflus said. “We can show them real, tangible progress. It’s our charge to take that next step.
“In terms of the pressure thing — really that’s the NFL, right? It’s about executing. It’s a week-to-week league. The story of the world’s written every single week. So that’s the way it goes and that’s where you’re at. That’s the life we live and I’ve been living it a long time. That’s the way it goes.”
What about Poles? (Side note: Breer did not explicitly say Poles is trending in a similar downward trajectory as Eberflus. But he insinuated a potential demise for Poles by saying “He didn’t hire Ryan Poles” and adding Warren’s speculated interest in bringing in “his own guys.”)
He’s certainly made significant advances to the roster i.e. trading the No. 1 pick for future picks and DJ Moore. Signing Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Nate Davis, Cole Kmet, etc. He also drafted Jaquan Brisker, Kyler Gordon, Darnell Wright and others. He also traded for Montez Sweat.
These are clear upgrades.
But, he hasn’t been perfect. He let Roquan Smith walk away in an ugly divorce between one of the league’s best defensive players. The Chase Claypool trade experiment was an absolute disaster. And let’s not forget how poorly Velus Jones Jr. has been since Poles spent a third-round pick on him.
Remember, while Poles has defended Eberflus tooth and nail, he was hired while Eberflus had already completed his second interview for the position. Not sure if it’s fair to say Eberflus is a Poles hire. Though, he stands by him, which can’t be seen as a positive.
Poles has never gotten his shot on a quarterback, however. He did not draft Justin Fields, nor is he responsible for developing the third-year quarterback. He is, however, responsible for figuring out whether or not to keep him while deciding the plan for using their No. 1 and No. 4 picks in the 2024 NFL draft, as it currently stands.
Would it be permissible for Warren to relieve both Eberflus and Poles? Better yet, can he convince the organization that would be the correct move for the direction of the team?
It might be Kevin Warren’s team, through and through. The question is — what happens next if it is his team?
