Chicago Bears management will undergo yet another change in 2023, which should please Bears fans.
The Chicago Bears changed their management up going into the 2022 season, and it’ll change yet again before next season.
According to an announcement from the team, CEO and President Ted Phillips will be making this year his last, as he plans to step down at the end of February.
Phillips has been with the Bears for 40 years, after joining the team in 1984. Phillips started on the financial side as a controller and was instrumental in negotiating contracts on the player personnel side as well as for important fan experience elements such as renovations to Soldier Field.
While Phillips has been positioned more on the business side of the team rather than on actual roster building, some fans will rejoice to hear he’ll be stepping down since his leadership has been lock-step with years of losing and misery for Chicago. The Bears, since he became president in 1999, have made the postseason just 6 times. The highlight was winning the NFC Title, losing Super Bowl XLI against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.
In an interview with The Athletic, Phillips said Covid forced him to slow down (subscription required) and evaluate his career, and that he feels it’s time to step away and focus on his family life.
Phillips stepping down comes on the heels of general manager Ryan Pace being fired and Ryan Poles being hired in his place. As a result of the management change, Matt Eberflus was hired as head coach after four dismal seasons under Matt Nagy.
Plenty of changes potentially coming for Chicago Bears in near future
Fittingly, as Phillips’ career winds down, he will be focused on the team’s next big purchase: A land purchase in Arlington Heights, Illinois, where the Bears look positioned to build a new stadium and move to. The new plot of land is well outside downtown but near O’Hare airport, the busiest airport in the city on the northwest side.
The Bears have called Soldier Field a full-time home since 1971, but the Stadium built in the 1920s, needed significant renovation in the 1990s. Phillips was instrumental in negotiating a deal with the city to massively renovate the stadium, making it more modern and accessible.
Fans hope new management will take the team to more success than they’ve been able to experience the last 20 years or so.
