The Bears might not be playing in Chicago for much longer, with the team revealing again Thursday that the search for a suitable site for their planned new stadium will focus on two locations that are outside its current city.
“The Chicago Bears have exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago, which was our initial goal,” the team announced in a statement. “There is not a viable site in the city. As a result, the only sites under consideration are in Arlington Heights and Hammond [Indiana].”
Team president Kevin Warren said in April that the Bears were looking to announce the site for the new stadium in late spring or early summer, and he also called both possible locations “excellent sites,” according to the Associated Press.
Both states are trying their best to get the NFL franchise to their respective states.
Lawmakers in Indiana passed a bill to create a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to finance, construct and lease a brand new domed stadium for the Bears.
That action forced Illinois to respond with massive tax breaks for construction projects exceeding $100 million to try to keep the Bears in Illinois and in Arlington Heights, according to the AP.
Arlington Heights is 40 minutes away from the current Soldier Field.
The Bears have played in Illinois since their inception in 1921.
The Bears come into the 2026 campaign looking to make the playoffs for the second straight season.
Caleb Williams had the best season of his career, throwing for 3,942 yards while rushing for 388 more.
Williams had 23 total touchdowns and just seven interceptions.
While the Bears lost many key pieces in the secondary, they reloaded by signing defensive back Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million deal and adding veteran linebacker Devin Bush.
The only thing that could slow the Bears down is their tough schedule.
They have the hardest schedule this season based on last season’s records.
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