Kevin Warren

NFC North Notes: Bears, Lions, Davis, Vikes

November 7th, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Questions about Matt Eberflus‘ status have emerged once again, as the Bears have lost two straight — the first of which featuring one of the more shocking endings in franchise history — to drop to 4-4. Eberflus fended off firing rumors to receive another chance this year, though he hired a new offensive staff upon being retained. Eberflus did not necessarily enter the season with the kind of playoffs-or-bust mandate Robert Saleh faced in New York, the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs writes, but it is fairly clear the Bears will again need a good second half for the defense-minded coach to feel comfortable.

Eberflus is 14-28 as a coach, though his first season — a 3-14 campaign — featured a gutted roster early in a rebuild. Ryan Poles did not conduct the search that produced Eberflus, being hired only two days before the HC. But the GM is probably a better bet to outlast the coach, should this season go south. Poles and team president Kevin Warren are aligned in their vision, Biggs observes, pointing to the prospect of Poles being given the chance to hire a second coach. Poles would obviously have a greater influence in the Bears’ HC hire a second time around, should a 2025 change take place.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

John Cominsky went down with an MCL tear early in training camp, but the Lions waited until setting their 53-man roster to place the defensive lineman on IR. Cominsky is still in the mix to return at some point for the NFC North leaders, though Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers notes no reemergence is expected during the regular season. Cominsky is only in play to return if/once the Lions make the playoffs.
Elsewhere along the Lions’ front seven, Josh Paschal is on the way back after undergoing a recent treatment. The former second-round edge rusher needed to have a noncancerous mass removed. Diagnosed with an aggressive form of skin cancer in 2018, Paschal has needed yearly scans; his latest led to a two-game absence due to the mass needing to be removed, via DetroitLions.com’s Tim Twentyman. Paschal, who worked as a Lions starter in the two games before the hiatus, did not go on IR and is expected to return in Week 10. He will now be joined by trade pickup Za’Darius Smith, and a big role could await as both Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport are out for the regular season’s remainder.
Jamin Davis spent time as an edge defender during his final season with Washington, but in Green Bay, the former first-round pick has returned to his initial NFL role. The Packers have the 2021 draftee working as an off-ball ‘backer, The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman notes. The Pack added Davis to their practice squad but have yet to elevate him for a game. Green Bay drafted two linebackers on Day 2 this year, though as a 36-game Washington starter from 2021-23, Davis now represents Green Bay insurance and perhaps an intriguing rebound piece.
Placed on IR due to an ankle injury, Luke Musgrave will not be back for a while. The second-year tight end ultimately needed surgery, Matt LaFleur said recently. LaFleur indicated the hope is Musgrave can return later this season. A second-round pick, Musgrave has seen 2023 third-rounder Tucker Kraft become the Packers’ top tight end. Musgrave also missed six games as a rookie, though he remains in the Packers’ IR-return puzzle for this season.
After coming up in trade rumors before the deadline, Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah ended up staying with the team. Minnesota did, however, end up discussing Asamoah with teams, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. Some degree of interest existed, but the former third-round pick does not have a role on defense right now. Asamoah has yet to start an NFL game, despite having been in the league for three seasons, further limiting his trade value.

Latest On Steelers’ QB Situation, Possible Justin Fields Pursuit

February 25th, 2024 at 10:31pm CST by Rory Parks

Last week, we heard that the Steelers were interested in re-signing quarterback Mason Rudolph and having him compete with 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett to be the club’s starting signal-caller. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that, even if the Steelers are unsuccessful in their pursuit of a Rudolph re-up, the club will not consider an external addition who is eyeing a QB1 role. Naturally, that would rule out a passer like Justin Fields, who is widely expected to be traded by the Bears.

On the same day that Dulac’s piece was published, however, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (subscription required) wrote that Pittsburgh will, in fact, acquire via trade or free agency a quarterback who can push Pickett for the starting job, and that such a quarterback would be “more than a stopgap.” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is reportedly a fan of Fields, and Fowler said that the rumblings connecting Fields to Pittsburgh are intensifying.

For a team like Pittsburgh that, as Fowler observes, could be just a quarterback away from championship contention, adding a clear upgrade over Pickett would make plenty of sense. But Mark Kaboly of The Athletic is aligned with Dulac, his fellow Steelers beat writer (subscription required). Kaboly confidently avers that the team is not going to go after Fields, and that while there may be a competition between Rudolph and Pickett if Rudolph is re-signed, Pickett will get one last chance to prove his worth before Pittsburgh looks outside the organization.

While these starkly contrasting reports between a national writer and two beats add to the uncertainty of the Steelers’ quarterback situation, it continues to look like there is no uncertainty concerning Fields’ future in Chicago. Though the Ohio State product recently said he would like to remain with the Bears — as relayed by Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times — Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune does not believe there is any internal debate as to whether the club should keep Fields in lieu of using its No. 1 overall draft choice (or a slightly lower choice in the event of a small trade down) on a top collegiate prospect. Rather, the real question is simply which passer in the 2024 draft class the Bears like the best.

Per Biggs, it is at least conceivable that the Bears retain Fields if they do not find a trade offer to their liking, but a trade is their preference. Previous reports have indicated that the team would finalize its QB plan one way or another by the start of the scouting combine (which opens tomorrow), and it sounds as if that plan is indeed to seek a suitor for Fields. Biggs says there is no disconnect on that point between GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren.

Expect plenty more Chicago-related rumors this week as team brass discusses its incumbent passer — and perhaps the No. 1 selection in the upcoming draft — with rival clubs.

Kevin Warren Addresses Justin Fields’ Status

February 15th, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bears’ journey to determining their 2024 starting quarterback continues. After the team reached an agreement to trade the No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers before free agency started last year, fans should be on the lookout for a Justin Fields move soon. The Bears trading their three-year starter and keeping the pick remains the likely path, but they have not yet committed one way or another here.

It would surprise to see Chicago trade the top pick for a second straight year, given the buzz Caleb Williams has generated as a prospect. The team could, however, fetch more in a trade for that draft pick than it could obtain in a Fields swap. That adds intrigue to the team’s decision, with contractual matters a key factor as well.

“I’m a supporter of Justin because I got a chance to work with him when I was commissioner of the Big Ten conference,” Bears president Kevin Warren said during a WGN interview (via NBC Sports Chicago). “He is incredibly talented. He is smart. He works hard. And he wants to be a great NFL football player. And now he just needs to make sure he has the support around him.

“… Justin has a rare combination of intelligence, of size, of strength and speed. You forget how big of a man he is until you’re up on him. He’s not a small man. I just think every year he’s going to continually get better.”

Warren, who initially observed Fields during his two-year run as Ohio State’s starter, represents an important part of this process. Although GM Ryan Poles runs the Bears’ front office, Warren serves as the bridge between ownership and the team’s football ops. Poles said last month the Bears were in a unique situation with regards to their quarterback decision. It is not known how much input Warren will provide the third-year GM on this front. Given Poles’ job description, any pushback from the second-year president would be notable.

“One of the things about Ryan and I’s working relationship is the fact that we’re in this together,” Warren said. “I know he’s spending every single day thinking about not only that decision but also who to draft at No. 9 and our current roster and what we’re gonna do in free agency, what we’re doing from a contract negotiation standpoint. I’m sure he’s already starting to play out the draft in his mind.

“I look forward to going to the Combine here later this month and then getting the chance to spend some time together because we’re in a very, very unique space in time in the Bears.”

The Bears hired Warren in January 2023, bringing him in a year after hiring Poles and HC Matt Eberflus. While Warren was initially described as a strictly business-side addition, rumblings about the former Lions and Vikings exec playing a part on the football side emerged. Warren did not shake up the Poles-Eberflus partnership this offseason, and the former Big Ten commissioner is believed to have a good relationship with the team’s GM. It would be fascinating if the two power brokers disagreed regarding this seminal decision, but nothing on that front has surfaced during the Bears’ latest will-they/won’t-they saga associated with trading a No. 1 overall pick.

This franchise has not made a No. 1 overall draft choice since 1947, and a weekend report indicated it would take a “historic haul” for a team to pry this year’s top choice from the Bears. Chicago punted on drafting Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud or Anthony Richardson last year. Poles made Fields his offseason centerpiece. Though Poles did not draft Fields, his 2023 offseason choice will matter. With the Bears having secured the top pick once again — thanks to the Panthers’ 2-15 season — Poles has another chance.

A few teams are in need at quarterback but lack a top-three pick. The Falcons (No. 8), Broncos (No. 12) and Raiders (No. 13) are the three that do not currently have exclusive negotiating rights with a starter-caliber option (Russell Wilson‘s status notwithstanding; he remains on track to be released); the Vikings (No. 11) and Buccaneers (No. 26) do. Leading up to last year’s free agency, Poles engaged in talks with a few teams — most notably discussing a three-team deal with Houston and Carolina — before dealing the pick to the Panthers.

The Bears are weighing Fields’ trajectory and upcoming fifth-year option price against what a future with Williams — the 2022 Heisman winner who has been the clubhouse leader to go No. 1 overall for over a year — would bring. The USC product being on a rookie contract for at least three years would naturally appeal to the Bears, who could fetch at least one Day 2 pick — perhaps more, given the needs of the above-referenced teams — for Fields.

A scenario in which the Bears draft a quarterback at 1 and keep Fields also surfaced as an option recently, but this has long looked like an either/or situation. Warren’s pro-Fields comments should be expected at this juncture, but this remains a central 2024 NFL storyline to follow.

Staff Rumors: Commanders, Smith, Falcons, Bears, Pierce, Raiders, Giants

January 5th, 2024 at 5:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Among head coaches, Ron Rivera resides as the only true lock to be fired following Week 18. The Commanders‘ new ownership injects mystery into the upcoming search. Josh Harris has been rumored to be intrigued by a setup in which a football operations president-type figure oversees a GM and head coach, and SI.com’s Albert Breer further points to the owner being unlikely to hand the keys to a high-powered HC. Like Bill Belichick, Breer considers Jim Harbaugh an unlikely candidate in Washington. It is not known if Belichick would require personnel control if he ends up elsewhere, but Harbaugh having the leverage of more Michigan extension offers, it is expected the hard-edged HC would need significant input on the personnel front if he were to return to the NFL. So far, the Chargers have been the team most closely linked to luring him back.

Additionally, Breer notes Harris is intrigued by how the Eagles and Ravens’ power structures are set up. The Commanders hired ex-Ravens analytics staffer Eugene Shen as senior VP of football strategy in the fall. While the Eagles lost four staffers to assistant GM roles in 2022, the Ravens have a GM candidate in player personnel director Joe Hortiz. Baltimore’s OC-DC tandem — Todd Monken and Mike Macdonald — is expected to generate HC interest as well.

Going into Week 18, here is the latest from staffs around the NFL:

With the Falcons on the doorstep of a third straight 7-10 season, Arthur Smith‘s job status has come up frequently. Vacillating back and forth between being fired or becoming the rare HC to be given a fourth year despite three straight losing seasons, Smith was not exactly given a vote of confidence by Arthur Blank. But the longtime Falcons owner is not believed to be actively seeking changes, per Breer, making it sound like the hope is for Smith and GM Terry Fontenot to show enough to stay on. A one-sided loss to the Saints may well change Blank’s mind. The Falcons can win the NFC South by beating the Saints and the Buccaneers — who also have a coach on the hot seat — losing to the Panthers.
Ryan Poles is believed to have a good relationship with new Bears president Kevin Warren, being expected to stay on for a third year as GM. Prior to the Bears‘ rout of the Falcons, Matt Eberflus was linked to being in good standing for a third HC season. While expecting both to stay, Breer notes neither Bears power broker has been assured of a return. Warren has been a wild card in this scenario since he was hired, and the former Big Ten commissioner did not confirm publicly when asked Friday (via the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley) if Eberflus would be retained. Eberflus is 10-23 as Bears HC, but the team — which has a rather important quarterback decision to make soon — is 7-5 over its past 12.
Raiders leaders Davante Adams, Maxx Crosby and Josh Jacobs would back the retention of interim HC Antonio Pierce, but Mark Davis is believed to be aiming higher. After all, Pierce — who resigned his two-year post as Arizona State DC in 2022 — has far less experience than Raiders DC Patrick Graham. But Pierce’s knowledge of the Raiders’ culture and history does appeal to Davis, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com writes, noting these factors matter considerably to the second-generation owner. No team has bumped an interim leader to the full-time post since the Jaguars elevated Doug Marrone in 2017.
Giants running backs coach Jeff Nixon is set for a responsibility jump; it will come at the college level. Syracuse hired Nixon as its offensive coordinator Friday. Nixon was in his first season as Giants RBs coach; he had served under Matt Rhule at Baylor and with the Panthers. The Giants hired Nixon last year to replace DeAndre Smith, who left to take the same position with the Colts.

Justin Fields Making Bears’ Decision Difficult; Team Setting Higher Trade Price For 2024 No. 1 Pick?

January 2nd, 2024 at 10:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

Barring an unexpected development, Ryan Poles will have the opportunity to consider another trade involving a No. 1 overall pick. The second-year Bears GM is unlikely to be fired, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler and Courtney Cronin. But a similar decision awaits him once the season ends.

Poles’ 2023 choice equipped the Bears with a haul of draft choices, including a Panthers pick now guaranteed to check in at No. 1 overall, but the young GM has not seen Justin Fields submit an open-and-shut case to stay on for a fourth season. Recommitting to Fields would now require the Bears to trade a No. 1 overall pick for a second straight year. Considering Poles was not with the team when it traded up for Fields in 2021, the stakes attached to the GM’s next decision are even higher.

Since coming back from an early-season injury, Fields has impressed in spurts. The third-year QB is believed to have made the Bears’ decision more difficult, Fowler and Cronin note, but two anonymous GMs said (via the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora) Chicago should still be expected to draft Caleb Williams — who has not yet officially declared — first overall and trade Fields. A panel of NFL staffers said the same last month, indicating the Ohio State alum would be highly unlikely to fetch the Bears a first-round pick in a 2024 trade.

Fields’ recent spurt aside, his overall body of work would make passing on a prospect like Williams difficult. Chicago’s dual-threat passer is 8-19 as a starter and has struggled in fourth quarters this season. Per ESPN, Fields ranks last out of qualified passers with a 51.8% fourth-stanza completion rate while sitting 30th in QBR in final periods. Since 2021, Fields’ 16 fourth-quarter INTs lead the league. Fields’ run-game brilliance and superior work earlier in games (No. 4 in TD-INT ratio through games’ first three quarters this season) works in his favor, but thus far, more expect the Bears to start over rather than stick here.

If Fields can win what was previously described as an uphill battle and keep his job for 2024 — something that would require the Bears to pick up his fifth-year option by May — Poles will likely view this as a hotter ticket compared to the 2023 top pick. It cost the Panthers D.J. Moore, their Nos. 9 and 61 picks last year, their 2024 first and a 2025 second to move up for Young. Williams’ prospect status topping those of Young or C.J. Stroud points to the Bears setting a higher price, with ESPN.com adding several execs view the USC talent as being worth two future first-rounders and either a Day 2 pick or a veteran on a reasonable contract.

It cost the 49ers two future first-rounders and a third to climb nine spots for Trey Lance. The Eagles gave up a first-rounder, two seconds and two thirds for Jared Goff in 2016. Washington’s price to climb from No. 6 to No. 2 for Robert Griffin III was two future firsts and a second in 2012. It will, then, be worth debating if the Bears are better off continuing to build around Fields and the haul they could receive for the presumptive Williams draft slot or starting over with the 2022 Heisman winner (on rookie-deal money through at least 2026) and whatever they receive in a trade for Fields. Chicago’s incumbent QB would be worth a second- or third-rounder in a pre-draft swap, per Fowler.

The Bears giving up on Fields after three years would match the timeline Mitch Trubisky received. A three-and-done Fields stay would also show how the league has changed since the 2011 CBA reshaped rookie contracts. Rex Grossman was in Chicago for six years, though he did not finish out his tenure as the team’s starter. Despite leading the Bears to just one playoff berth, Jay Cutler stayed as the Bears’ QB1 for eight seasons. With Cutler checking in perhaps just south of the franchise-QB bar, Chicago has been in search of its next such piece since at least Jim McMahon, whose injury troubles shortened his Windy City stay.

These factors complicate Poles’ decision, but he is expected to be the one making it. Fowler and Cronin add Poles has cultivated a good relationship with new president Kevin Warren. A Sunday report indicated Matt Eberflus was more likely than not to stay on, but La Canfora notes the prospect of Warren — who arrived in Chicago after both Eberflus and Poles — firing the two-year HC and starting with a more offensively oriented leader (in the event Williams is drafted) should not be dismissed.

This would represent a tough ending for Eberflus, who has the Bears at 7-5 over their past 12 games. With complications surrounding their front office, coaching staff and quarterback, the upcoming offseason promises to be a seminal stretch for the Bears. Should they give Fields a fourth season or turn to Williams? Is Eberflus capable of becoming a long-term HC answer?

Latest On Justin Fields, Bears’ HC/GM Plans

December 14th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Upon returning from a dislocated thumb, Justin Fields faced a seven-game audition that would likely determine his post-2023 future in Chicago. Thus far, the 2021 first-round pick has impressed. The Bears have won two straight against division rivals, and Fields put together a solid game in the team’s upset win over the Lions in Week 14.

Before Fields began this final audition of sorts, reports pointed the Bears in different directions regarding their QB future. Multiple mid-November reports indicated the team was more likely to trade Fields and go with a top prospect in the 2024 draft. With the Panthers continuing to struggle and now two games behind the NFL’s second-worst record with four to play, the Bears are closer to having another opportunity to make their choice atop a draft. While Ryan Poles passed on that chance this year, trading the top pick to Carolina, it would represent a bigger risk move another No. 1 choice.

Although a subsequent report pegged the Bears as needing to be “blown away” by a QB prospect to move on from Fields, Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson spoke with a number of GMs who suggest the Bears’ decision should not be that difficult. Reasons ranging from Caleb Williams‘ prospect profile to cost certainty to the risk of trading No. 1 overall picks in back-to-back years to Poles not being in Chicago when Fields was drafted pointed to the anonymous GMs expecting the team to trade its current quarterback and prepare for the future.

This scenario would remind of the Jets’ 2021 call, which now doubles as a warning to other teams. While some in the Jets’ building advocated for keeping Sam Darnold and passing on drafting Zach Wilson at No. 2 overall two years ago, the Jets centered their future around Wilson by trading Darnold to the Panthers for a three-pick package.

The key difference here being that Williams is a former Heisman winner who has resided as a top-tier prospect for multiple seasons; Wilson, conversely, rocketed toward the top of the ’21 draft board because he impressed against lower-level competition. The COVID-19-altered 2020 season, featuring independent BYU needing to schedule lesser competition, created this scenario. No such variables exist with Williams, though he could not match his dominant 2022 Heisman campaign this year.

Should the Bears follow that Jets plan, the anonymous execs told Robinson that the team should not be expected to fetch a first-round pick in a Fields trade. None of the seven trade proposals featured a first-rounder, though a few included a second. This partially hinges on Fields finishing this season strong. That would undoubtedly increase the run-oriented QB’s trade value while also making Poles’ decision more difficult.

It is still not a lock the Bears have Poles and Matt Eberflus in place to make these decisions. President Kevin Warren, whom the Bears hired in January, represents a wild card. Even if the Panthers provide the Bears with the No. 1 pick, the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes Warren will be expected to seriously consider changes to the coaching staff and front office. We heard this in September, but the Bears have performed better as of late. They are now only one game out of another mediocre NFC pursuit for the No. 7 seed, and La Canfora offers the caveat of a surprise playoff surge taking 2024 HC-GM changes off the table.

Warren is primarily running the Bears’ efforts to secure a new stadium, but the former Big Ten commissioner is expected to weigh in on football matters — like how the team should proceed with the No. 1 pick. Formerly a Lions, Vikings and Rams staffer, Warren is set to evaluate Poles and Eberflus in the offseason. The subject of wanting his own HC will likely come up, according to ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan. How that potential motivation would affect Poles remains to be seen, but Eberflus probably joins Fields in needing to prove himself to close out this season.

This is not especially uncommon. New Commanders owner Josh Harris is expected to fire Ron Rivera, while the Broncos both changed HCs a year after hiring a new GM (going from Vic Fangio to Nathaniel Hackett) and then a year after having new ownership (Hackett to Sean Payton). The Panthers fired Rivera during David Tepper‘s second year in charge. The Bears do not have a new owner, but it is clear Warren will be a key decision-maker when it comes time to make a call on staffers. While the Bears are a long shot to extend this late-season recovery to the playoffs, the 2023 squad’s homestretch will be important through a long-term lens.

Bears Eyeing Major Staff Changes?

September 26th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Matt Nagy–Ryan Pace regime showed early issues, the Bears did not produce a losing season until the fourth and final year of that partnership. Although circumstances are a bit different for Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles, the team is in a worse spot than it was during the previous duo’s run.

The Bears have now lost 13 straight games, and their defense has cratered under Eberflus, a defensive-oriented head coach. Alan Williams, the defensive coordinator who followed Eberflus from Indianapolis, lasted only 18 games with the team. Inappropriate conduct on Williams’ part is believed to have occurred, and the Bears’ defense has taken significant steps back since Eberflus arrived. While the Bears have gutted the nucleus that helped Mitch Trubisky pilot the team to two playoff berths, it finished last in points allowed in 2022 and ranks 31st this season.

Following Williams’ exit and Justin Fields making comments about the coaching staff’s role in his struggles — a point the third-year QB attempted to walk back — Poles addressed the state of the team. The Bears are early in the Poles-run rebuild, but a new president — ex-Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren — is in place. A growing suspicion exists in league circles Warren is already considering rebooting the operation, Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post notes.

Fields ranks last in QBR, sitting nearly six points behind Zach Wilson, through three games. The Poles regime did not draft Fields, who threatened to break Lamar Jackson‘s single-season QB rushing record last season, but has a clear stake in his future. The Bears traded away the No. 1 overall pick, showing a belief in Fields over an investment in the likes of Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud. Chicago should be well-positioned for the 2024 draft, holding their own pick and Carolina’s. Another QB investment may be necessary, but it will be worth wondering if this regime will be in place to make the picks by then.

One GM told La Canfora that Warren has seen enough to know change needs to take place. The Bears do not fire coaches in-season, and it would represent a quick trigger to dump Poles so early in his rebuild effort. But two-and-done coaches are standard practice in the NFL. Quick GM hooks are less common, though these moves have taken place in the recent past. The Jets dropped John Idzik after his second season, while the Texans canned Brian Gaine midway through his second offseason.

Warren arrived in January, succeeding longtime team president Ted Phillips. The latter was in his final months on the job when Poles and Eberflus were hired, and La Canfora notes Bill Polian played a lead role in the hires. The Bears have kept their organizational workflow in place from the Phillips era, with Warren stationed as the buffer between ownership and the football ops department. Warren would have the power to fire the second-year GM-HC duo and lead the next search. Not directly in charge of the Bears’ football ops, Warren is believed to have a role on that side.

The Bears have not had a two-and-done HC since Marc Trestman, who was fired after the 2014 season. Trestman also stands as the Bears’ only two-and-done period since the 1970 merger. Trestman went 13-19. Poles should be considered on safer ground, but Eberflus — now in place as the Bears’ defensive play-caller — should certainly be viewed as a hot-seat occupant given recent developments.

Bears Notes: J. Johnson, Wright, Warren

July 30th, 2023 at 12:21pm CST by Rory Parks

Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and he wants an extension. It was reported back in June that Johnson would be hiring a new agent to aid in that pursuit, and he recently retained the services of Chris Ellison, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Biggs does not indicate whether talks have taken place (the earlier report suggested that Johnson was not necessarily pushing for a new deal to be completed before training camp). GM Ryan Poles has expressed a desire to keep Johnson in the fold, but Poles has used second-round picks on corners (Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson) in back-to-back years, and the team also selected Terell Smith in the fifth round of this year’s draft.

As such, Poles may elect to make Johnson — who has been a regular starter but far from a world-beater in his first three professional seasons — prove himself in his platform year before committing to him on a long-term basis.

Now for more notes from the Windy City:

Darnell Wright, the Bears’ first-round choice in the 2023 draft, is penciled in as the club’s starting right tackle. Still, the team wanted him to drop weight, and per Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns of The Athletic (subscription required), Wright has done just that. By conditioning like a wide receiver and hiring a personal chef, the Tennessee blocker shaved 16 pounds off his frame, and Poles noted that Wright aced the OL conditioning test. Wright’s presence could help push former Raiders first-rounder Alex Leatherwood off the roster.
The Bears recorded just 20 sacks in 2022, the lowest total in the league. While Chicago added some reinformcents in the form of DeMarcus Walker and Rasheem Green in free agency, its pass rush contingent remains uninspiring. We heard last month that Poles may want to add another edge defender, and he recently confirmed that desire (Twitter link via Jahns). However, it sounds as if Poles may be having difficulty enticing free agents to the club. “It takes two to make sure it works out,” he said. Accomplished players like Yannick Ngakoue, Jadeveon Clowney, and Robert Quinn — whom the Bears traded to the Eagles in advance of last year’s deadline — remain unsigned.
We heard back in January that Kevin Warren, the former Big Ten commissioner whom the Bears hired as their new president and CEO role in the wake of Ted Phillips‘ retirement, would focus on the business side of the operation. However, Dan Pompei of The Athletic (subscription required) says, “[i]t would be naive to think [Warren] won’t have much to do with the football team that will play in the stadium he is trying to build.” In an expansive piece that will be of particular interest to Bears fans, Pompei notes that Warren will almost certainly hire the team’s next GM and head coach whenever those hires become necessary, and that he will have input into how Poles and current head coach Matt Eberflus operate. Indeed, Warren plans to watch game tape and will evaluate the players’ attention to detail, energy level, and passion for the game.

NFC North Rumors: Bears, Bradbury, Lions

January 28th, 2023 at 4:36pm CST by Ely Allen

The Bears made waves recently when they announced the addition of Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren as the new president and CEO in Chicago. The addition resulted in a number of questions about Warren’s responsibilities and how they will compare to those of general manager Ryan Poles. While Poles will report to Warren in the grand scheme of things, the Bears will leave the football aspect of the team to Poles, allowing Warren to focus on business, according to Adam Jahns of The Athletic.

This is similar to Warren’s past roles in the NFL, specifically his time in Minnesota as chief operating officer. Warren worked hand-in-hand with former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman for several years before Warren moved on to the Big Ten. Spielman told Jahns that he operated with Warren in a similar manner to how the Bears plan to operate, with Spielman focused on football and Warren on business. The only difference in Chicago is that, while Spielman and Warren both reported to Vikings’ ownership, Poles is now reporting directly to Warren.

Here are a few other rumors from around the NFC North concerning some likely offseason transactions:

Vikings center Garrett Bradbury struggled as a first-round selection up until this season. In his first three years of NFL football, Bradbury’s best season in 2020 saw him rank 25th out of 36 graded centers, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The other two years saw Bradbury rank 28th in 2019 and 29th in 2021, leading to Minnesota declining his fifth-year option heading into this season. After a hot start to the season that considerably raised his stock as a pending free agent, Bradbury iterated that he loved his team and preferred to stay in Minnesota. Three and a half months later and Bradbury finished off his hot season for a career year that saw him rank 11th out of 38 graded centers. With free agency on the horizon, Bradbury was asked again and, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, he reiterated his desires to re-sign with the team that drafted him.
Unlike Bradbury, Lions guard Jonah Jackson is fully locked into his starting position at left guard heading into his contract year. If he has his way, though, the 25-year-old won’t even sniff free agency. Jackson told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press that he is fully open to remaining with the Lions long-term. “I would retire in Detroit,” Jackson said. “I would love to be a Lion forever. I love the city.” Jackson isn’t expected to earn a top guard contract but still may fetch a significant deal worth $13-15MM. He made sure to clarify that if it doesn’t happen, he doesn’t intend to hold out. “If it doesn’t (happen), I’m the same guy, the same 73 who showed up for work every day from COVID Year 1 to now…If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”
Another player who is getting ahead of free agency, Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney signed with a new agency in advance of potential contract extension negotiations, according to the official Twitter account of Athletes First sports agency. Mooney came back down to reality this year after a stellar 2021 season, partially due to injuries that kept him out of the final five games of the season. Mooney still has the ability to be a 1,000-yard receiver like he was a year ago and should benefit from another year of experience and improvement for quarterback Justin Fields. Taking action with his representation could indicate that Mooney is ready to start working towards a long-term extension before a contract year next season.

Bears Hire Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren As President

January 12th, 2023 at 9:04am CST by Sam Robinson

Kevin Warren surfaced as a candidate for the Bears’ president and CEO role recently, and the Big Ten commissioner is expected to make the jump back to the NFL.

The Bears plan to hire Warren, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The Bears have since announced the hire. Warren will succeed longtime Bears president Ted Phillips, who announced intentions to retire before this past season. Warren has an extensive history in the NFL, including with two NFC North franchises (the Lions and Vikings), but has been the Big Ten commissioner since 2019. The new hire will start work April 17, Pete Thamel of ESPN.com tweets.

This will be the first Bears change in this position in the 21st century. Phillips had served in this role since 1999 but indicated in September he was leaving the team after 40 years in various roles. Warren will come in from the college ranks, but he has more than 20 years of experience in the NFL.

Warren, 59, became the first Black commissioner of the Big Ten and helmed the conference during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to numerous schedule and format adjustments for all sports over multiple years. The conference waffled on its 2020 football schedule, initially postponing the season to the spring. Warren then backtracked, leading to the league starting its season Oct. 24 — well after the southern power conferences began their respective campaigns. The Pac-12 joined the Big Ten in beginning its season late that fall. The Big Ten during this period also reached agreements on additions of USC and UCLA, which represent two of the most shocking realignment dominoes to fall in history.

Prior to accepting the Bears position, Warren remained on his original contract as Big Ten commish. He will join a Bears team that recently clinched the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since 1947. The Bears launched a rebuild effort last year, hiring Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus to lead that effort. Poles gutted Chicago’s veteran-laden defense, with trades involving Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith and Robert Quinn playing a role in the team finishing 3-14 and securing the top pick.

Warren has been mentioned as a possible Roger Goodell successor down the road, per Mark Maske of the Washington Post, with Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio indicating the same while including Broncos co-owner and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as another rumored option (Twitter links). Having Warren, who in Minnesota became the first Black COO in NFL history, back in the NFL could allow for an easier commissioner transition at some point.

Ahead of his Big Ten commitment, Warren spent nearly 15 years with the Vikings. He finished his Minnesota run working as the team’s COO. He spent three years with the Lions in the early 2000s and began his NFL career with the Rams in the late ’90s.

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