Making his first appearance on a Bears TV game broadcast Saturday night, team president and CEO Kevin Warren discussed a variety of topics with FOX 32 play-by-play announcer Adam Amin and color analyst Jim Miller.
Speaking during the second half of a preseason game against the Colts, Warren lauded the working relationship he has developed with Bears general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus.
"It's been outstanding," Warren said. "To win in the National Football League, one, you need talent, but you need to build an incredible culture, and working with Matt and Ryan, it's been enjoyable. It's been great working with Matt and Ryan and [chairman] George McCaskey, for us to be able to come together to build an incredible team and an incredible franchise."
Warren was hired by the Bears in January after serving as Big Ten Commissioner since 2020. Prior to that, he spent 22 seasons as an NFL executive with the St. Louis Rams (1997-2000), Detroit Lions (2001-03) and Minnesota Vikings (2005-19).
Warren, who is an attorney, initially served as Rams vice president of player programs/football legal counsel from 1997-2000 before being promoted to vice president of football administration. During his tenure, the Rams won the Super Bowl to cap the 1999 season, defeating the Tennessee Titans.
Warren experienced firsthand what it took to transform an NFL club into a championship organization.
"I think the biggest thing is that you need to make sure you build an environment where people are working together in a positive manner, that you set the goals and the vision, you work hard," Warren said. "It's a long haul, but it can be done.
"I've been fortunate to work at the Rams. We went from 4-12 to 16-3 and winning the Super Bowl. It's all about discipline, hard work, being methodical, coming together, being honest with each other, being transparent and believing that we can be exceptional."
One of the most significant items on Warren's to-do list with the Bears is the construction of a new state-of-the-art stadium.
As Vikings chief operating officer, Warren was instrumental in the design, development and planning of U.S. Bank Stadium—which opened in 2016 and hosted Super Bowl XXLI on Feb. 4, 2018—as well as the Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center, the Vikings' training facility.
"I look at it as a great opportunity," Warren said. "We've been fortunate to have a phenomenal fan base, so to have an opportunity to work on another stadium is a dream come true. I'm excited about how it goes and where we end up and how it comes together.
"We just have to stay disciplined. We have to be methodical. We have to be patient. We have to do what's right and keep in mind the magnitude and power of a great gameday experience. Our fans deserve it, the NFL deserves it, and our players deserve it.
"I am excited to be here and to be able to work on it. We'll get it done the right way at the right time. We've got some great partners and we just need to be very disciplined and take our time to do it the right way."
Warren also joined the ESPN 1000 radio broadcast during the third quarter. Listen to that full interview below.
