The Chicago Bears have long had a reputation for operating like a mom-and-pop shop. Despite being a billion-dollar organization with all the resources it could ever need, they have operated as if it's still the 1960s when spending money was always done carefully. Things have changed so much since then. Top organizations carry themselves like professional corporations. Everything is first-class all the time. The Bears haven't done that. NFL agent Rick Smith knew this from having worked with them, along with every other team, since getting into the business. However, the past month has shown him things have changed drastically inside Halas Hall, which is almost entirely thanks to team president Kevin Warren.
George McCaskey isn't known for any level of competence or genius as Bears chairman. However, he does at least seem to have self-awareness. Once Ted Phillips announced his retirement, McCaskey knew he had to find somebody with experience working with top NFL organizations. That is how he landed on Warren, who'd found great success with the Rams and Vikings. Smith admitted that the Bears' operations have drastically improved their resource allocation and organization. It was a vital change that helped lure Smith's client, Ben Johnson, to Chicago.
Kevin Warren gets plenty of heat, but his impact is already noticeable.
Yes, he seems to carry himself like a professional politician, always speaking in grand statements. Fans struggle to take him seriously. However, he has completely altered the mentality of how this team operates. They've gone from pinching pennies wherever possible to adopting the belief that you have to spend money to make money. Kevin Warren said shortly after the Johnson hire that he would not spare any resource available in this organization's pursuit of a championship. That is why they've been flying clients in via private jets, wining and dining them at fancy restaurants, and just handed Johnson the largest contract for a first-time head coach in history.
There is no way Phillips or his predecessors would've ever done such things. If you want to be great, don't be afraid to take big swings. That is the mentality Warren has brought to Chicago. He may not be perfect, but the new president finally brought the Bears into the 21st century.
