Don’t Forget That Other Chicago Bears Off-Season Event Is Looming
The Chicago Bears are 3-10 with four games left to play. Fans have already shifted their conversations to the upcoming off-season. Excitement is building over what could happen in free agency and the NFL draft. The Bears have over $100 million in spending money and may hold the #2 overall pick in the 1st round. The possibilities for improvement become limitless. Such developments make it easy to forget there is another event looming that could impact the Bears’ long-term fortunes. That is the retirement of Ted Phillips.
The longtime team president took over in 1999 and has held the job for 23 years. In that time, the organization has experienced seven winning seasons, six playoff appearances, three playoff wins, and no Super Bowl championships. Before the 2022 season began, it was announced he would be retiring in early 2023. What has transpired since then is incredibly poetic. The Bears may finish with their worst record since 1969. However, it will also end with the knowledge they might finally have their franchise quarterback in Justin Fields.
Phillips said his greatest failure during his tenure was never finding the right QB. Now he finally has one, and it’s the year he is going out the door. Poetic. Before any free agency or draft stuff begins, the Bears will likely hire his replacement. Their choice could dictate the next two decades of their existence.
Chicago Bears have kept quiet on their plans.
All we have to go on right now are a few rumors. The current in-house candidate appears to be Cliff Stein, a former agent who has been the Bears’ trusted salary cap guru for several years. His blended background in business and football makes him an easy choice to understand. He also already has a working relationship with GM Ryan Poles. However, the odds of him getting the job appear remote. Another name that popped up was ACC commissioner James Phillips. Before taking over that conference, the man was the athletic director at Northwestern. He has close ties to Bears minority owner Tim Ryan. He has a wealth of experience handling big football businesses.
Beyond that, not much else is known. It’s believed the Chicago Bears ownership likes superagent Trace Armstrong as a candidate. He was a 1st round pick for the team in 1989 and played several years for them. He’s also had a direct hand in several of their coaching hires in recent years. However, he would unlikely want to give up his current job since it pays far more than being team president would.
After that, it’s pure speculation. Several candidates, both internally and externally, would covet the job. The fact Phillips himself is part of the search adds another layer of intrigue to it. Given all the details, it is a safe bet the team will have a new president before the off-season begins in March. That means mid-January to late February is the window for something to happen.