The Chicago Bears have already undergone significant changes this off-season. Most of the focus is on the football side, with Luke Getsy and most of his offensive staff getting the boot. However, another section of the organization saw a big change as chief counsel and contract negotiator Cliff Stein was relieved of his duties. It was a shock to many inside the building since the man had been a valued member of the organization for 22 years. According to Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron, the decision came directly from team president Kevin Warren.
Some of it involved Stein growing a little too stubborn in contract talks. It was one of the reasons the Bears have had trouble getting rookie contracts done, and extensions haven’t materialized as quickly as hoped.
The news surprised multiple people in and around the organization. Letting someone go after more than two decades of service isn’t a decision that you come to lightly, so how did Warren get here?
Multiple sources said that Stein’s reputation as a firm but fair negotiator had tilted too far in one direction. Many agents felt that Stein had started driving too much of a hard bargain during negotiations which led to some relationships being damaged with player representation.
It doesn’t end there.
The general feeling is Warren is hoping to tighten things up at Halas Hall. That involves unloading several long-term members of the organization in favor of people of his own choosing. In other words, Stein likely isn’t the extent of the purge. It could be only the beginning.
Another source discussed that Warren felt that Halas Hall was a “leaky ship” and that too much information had been reaching the media before it should have been reported. While the source didn’t directly link any information leaking to Stein, he did say that Warren needed to “clear out the old Oak Trees” to help tighten up things at Halas. Whatever information has leaked from Halas Hall to the media, a different source said he would be shocked if one of them was Stein, considering his legal background and how keeping client information under wraps is a critical aspect of a lawyer’s position within an organization. One source suggested that there may be other high-level executives within the organization that could be let go in the coming weeks.
It was always suspected Kevin Warren might do this.
When men move into positions of power in any business, they almost always wish to bring in their own people. Ted Phillips did the same when he took the job in 1999. George McCaskey hired Warren and gave him full executive power. That means he can reshape the organizational structure however he sees fit. It appears this means anybody loyal to the previous regime is likely on their way out. This may include executive scout Jeff Shiver, who has been with them for decades. Jake Jones has been their Director of Finance for a long time.
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There are others. It comes down to who Kevin Warren thinks doesn’t serve the best interests of the franchise anymore. Stein did great things for the Bears over the past two decades. As always, change is inevitable in this league. Warren isn’t afraid of it. He’s proven that at every stop he’s made in his executive career. If change is embraced, it often leads to good things. It is time for the Bears to get with the times.
