Kevin Warren Serves Notice; 2024 Is A Critical Year
Today was a big day in Lake Forest. It started with the news Matt Eberflus terminated Luke Getsy this morning and ended with Kevin Warren meeting with the press. Warren commented immediately after GM Ryan Poles and HC Matt Eberflus finished their press conference.
Warren discussed several topics during his press conference, everything from his belief the Bears have the right people in place to achieve the goal of winning super bowls, the handling of losing two coaches during the season, and the continuing stadium discussions.
Warren echoed what Ryan Poles said earlier the Bears’ goal is to be deliberate and take a long-term approach to build the organization the correct way. That goal is not to have a winning season one year, only to be non-contenders for the next 10 seasons. The goal is to compete for championships every year.
He heaped praise on Ryan Poles for retooling the roster and creating a great salary cap situation. He asked the reporters there when was the last time they saw All-Pro players like DJ Moore and Montez Sweat added to a roster in the same year.
He was quick to add teams are always in a state of constant evaluation. The job is never finished.
When he was asked about why the decision was made to keep Matt Eberflus, his answer was two-fold. First, of course, was how the crisis of losing two coaches during the season was handled. His second answer spoke to what Kevin Warren is all about. He referred back to his days in St. Louis. The Rams had only won nine games under new coach Dick Vermeil. Ownership was ready to clean house. The Rams’ coaching staff was not fired, and in year three, the Rams became Super Bowl Champions.
Year Three is Very Critical
Without saying 2024 is a must-win season for coach Eberflus, Warren referred to year three as a “critical year.” Warren left little doubt this upcoming year will, indeed, be a season he expects to see the Bears finish first in the NFC North.
Reiterating the need to be diligent in using a long-term approach, he continued to praise the job Ryan Poles has done since he was hired in 2022. When asked about his desire to bring in his own staff, he emphasized his belief in Poles and his tireless efforts to build a winning team in Chicago.
Where Will The New Stadium Be?
Most of the last portion of the press conference centered around the ongoing plans to build a new stadium. We have learned several locations have approached Warren to build in their communities, but Warren only mentioned two locations during his conversation today, Arlington and Chicago. He emphasized how seeing a stadium along the lakefront would be great, but that would guarantee a much smaller footprint compared to what could be done with the 326-acre site in suburban Arlington. He is continuing conversations with both parties in efforts to build “the best stadium in the NFL.”