The Chicago Bears went about their process of hiring a new GM in a way fans haven’t really seen before. Usually, the organization picks out a handful of around 5-6 names, meets with them, and then makes a decision. That was not the case this time around. George McCaskey and his search team put together a massive list of names to speak with. Several of which made strong impressions. In the end, it was Ryan Poles who stood out above the rest. However, there appears to have been a notable exception in Omar Khan.
Everybody felt the Pittsburgh Steelers director of football and business administration was just another option for GM. That doesn’t appear to be the case. Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog revealed on the Irish Bears Show that the franchise had a different plan in mind for the longtime executive. One where he would in fact go one spot higher than GM. That of team president as a replacement for Ted Phillips.
This isn’t any covert process either.
Hughes revealed a few weeks ago that Phillips figures to retire after 2023. By that point, the Bears should be well on their way to moving into their brand new stadium in Arlington Heights. He knows the organization will need a quality replacement. Preferably somebody with more football acumen in his background. It turns out that Phillips and Khan have a relationship and the Bears president “loves” the Steelers exec.
This idea makes a ton of sense on paper. Omar Khan has a unique background in that he has worked on both the business and football sides of the Steelers organization for two decades. This allows him to bridge the gap between them. He comes from a franchise that has consistently been one of the winningest since the turn of the millennium and also has connections inside Halas Hall. Not just with Phillips but also director of college scouting Mark Sadowski.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
If this really is something the Bears are serious about, it is the sort of forward-thinking this franchise hasn’t been known for in the past. A refreshing change and something that brings even more optimism for the future.
