What the Bears President Thinks

Analysis: Kevin Warren's personal feelings on Justin Fields shouldn't be confused with the professional decision Bears need to make on their QB.

So Bears owner Kevin Warren is a fan of Justin Fields, much like Steelers coach Mike Tomlin apparently is.

This can't hurt Fields going forward but it would seem the matter of staying in Chicago and quarterbacking the Bears requires a bit more than this.

Walter Payton's son, Jarrett Payton, put an 18 1/2-minute interview for WGN with Warren during Super Bowl week on Youtube and the possibility of Fields remaining a Bears QB was discussed.

Of course, Warren isn't going to reveal anything because he's not the general manager making the calls on personnel. That's why they have Ryan Poles.

However, not only was Warren forthcoming about his opinion of Fields but also relayed what kind of working relationship he has with Poles in terms of the personnel situation. This can be important.

If someone is putting 2 and 2 together here they could come up with a different answer about how the Bears feel about Fields than if they're simply watching or listening to the pro-Caleb Williams group.

"I know from my standpoint, and I come to the table I'm a supporter of Justin, you know, because I got a chance to work with him when I was commissioner of the Big Ten Confernce," Warren told Payton. "He is incredibly talented, he is smart, he works hard and he wants to be a great NFL football player.

"And so now he just needs to make sure that he has the support around him. He's working hard. And then I would love to see him, you know, this offseason make sure he's totally healthy going into the season next year."

Warren's comment about next year should ring some bells. 

So, too, did his summation of the situation and particularly what he said about Fields' size. That's because Fields is a bigger player than Williams is. He's at least 2 inches taller, 10 pounds heavier and a faster runner. More exact numbers on all of these fronts will be known at the NFL Scouting Combine or in pro days.

"Justin has a rare combination of intelligence and size, of strength and speed," Warren said. "You forget how big a man he is until you're up on him. He's not a small man. And so I just think every year he's going to continue to get better and so I'm glad he's on the Chicago Bears."

The relationship between Warren and Poles is a tight one according to the Bears president. This is important when assessing what Warren really thinks of Fields'  future.

"One of the things about (the) Ryan and I working relationship is the fact that we're in this together," Warren said. "And I know he's spending every single day thinking about not only that decision but who to draft at No. 9 and our current roster, what we're going to do in free agency, what are we doing from a contract negotiation standpoint. I am sure he's already starting to play out the draft in his mind.

"And so we'll work together but I have great trust obviously in Ryan and (assistant GM) Ian Cunningham and all of our scouts."

It's a team situation between Warren and Poles.

This can be interpreted a few different ways. One is Warren is a veteran of the NFL and knows enough to say only things to bolster Fields' trade value.

The other is Warren and Poles working closely together with the Bears president holding such a high opinion of Fields because he's a bigger athlete and a "rare combination of intelligence and size, of strength and speed," means the team wouldn't trade Fields.

The side you believe is accurate is more likely affected by whichever way you felt about Fields prior to this interview and wouldn't be changed by it.

However, there is no way at this point before the draft that the Bears president would reveal anything of importance to any other team in the league with comments that could interfere with how his personnel department is working. Too much rides on secrecy in relation to trade compensation.

It's basically a stay-tuned situation and Warren got through an interview without really revealing much about what the personnel department thinks about Fields beyond his own personnal thoughts on the QB's athleticism..

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