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Ted Phillips has been President and CEO of the Chicago Bears since 1999, but according to one of the top insiders covering the team, his days could be numbered in the Windy City.
Phillips is just the fourth president the Bears have had in their 100+ years in the league. The Bears have made the playoffs just six times in the 22 years since his arrival, and they are 13-34 against their top rivals, the Green Bay Packers, in that time.
But in his December 23 column for The Athletic, Adam Jahns reported that Phillips may be heading for a new or more limited role with the team.
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Jahns: ‘Retirement is On the Table’ for Phillips
Jahns, who was the first to report that the Bears had hired Matt Nagy as head coach back in 2018, has some of the best sources of anyone connected to the team — and he says that even if Phillips does stick around, his role will very likely change.
“Retirement is thought to be on the table in the near future for Phillips,” Jahns wrote, adding:
“Phillips’ potential departure could be the driving force behind changing how the Bears function. But there is a new wrinkle, albeit an extremely important one, on the table for (team chairman George) McCaskey: the Bears’ potential move to Arlington Heights and the building of a new stadium. The Bears arguably need Phillips for what’s next for their franchise as a business, even if he shifts into an advisory role. Phillips could also temporarily remain in charge of the Bears’ business operations while leaving the football side.”
If Phillips chooses not to retire — which is still a possibility — it sounds like he may be getting a different title and might only focus primarily on the team’s likely move to Arlington Heights.
But what about Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace?
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Jahns Says Bears Are on Fence About Ryan Pace
While Nagy’s departure is a foregone conclusion, Jahns says the future of GM Pace is far murkier, noting the Bears could keep Pace and hire a new executive who could then decide what to do with him.
“Or it could be firing Pace and Nagy and asking Phillips to lead one more coaching search,” Jahns wrote. “Then again, it could be sliding Pace and Phillips into adviser roles and handling the search for the next GM and/or team president himself. The next moves made by McCaskey aren’t so black and white. But they are his to make. What the Bears have had in place for years isn’t working. McCaskey must know that.”
It’s been well documented how much McCaskey appreciates Pace on a personal level, but as a GM, Pace has produced just one winning team and zero playoff victories since his arrival in 2015. Has he finally worn out his welcome enough for the on-field results to matter more than personal relationships? We’ll see.
“League sources have indicated that everything is being considered and some early groundwork is being done by McCaskey, whether it’s the looming search for a new coach, a new executive or both,” Jahns added.
Hold on to your hats, Bears Nation. It’s looking like the winds of change could be blowing through Chicago soon.
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