The Bears have been on the search for a new home after playing 54 of the past 55 years in the NFL’s oldest stadium, Soldier Field. Earlier this year, they announced Arlington Heights as their target location for the new facility. Today, Bears president & chief executive officer Kevin Warren published an open letter to the public and mentioned a new potential destination sure to grab headlines: Northwest Indiana. 
According to Warren, Arlington Heights, a suburb just northwest of Chicago, would be the only viable site in Cook County, based on all of the requirements needed to host an NFL stadium. Unlike with many other stadium deals in the league, the Bears are reportedly not asking taxpayers to foot any portion of the bill, offering to invest over $2BB for the stadium and asking only in return that local and State officials commit to the development of “essential local infrastructure (roads, utilities, and site improvements),” which they considered a typical and reasonable ask.
While the team has not been definitively rejected in their plans and proposals, according to Warren, they “have been told directly by State leadership” that the Arlington Heights move will not be a priority in 2026. In his letter, Warren comments that “for a project of this scale, uncertainty has significant consequences,” and the consequences of reticence on behalf of the State of Illinois appear to be a threat to move elsewhere.
Boasting about all the potential perks of a local NFL stadium — significant growth of unionized jobs, year-round attractions and events, increased local business revenue as a result of increased traffic — Warren has suggested that the team may move towards other options, should Illinois continue to dismiss them. Due to the lack of commitment, Warren says the franchise will expand its search to more seriously evaluate other “opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana.”
It’s a bold move from Warren but one that he clearly felt was necessary in order to get some movement in plans for a new deal. If State leadership in Illinois doesn’t respond well to Warren’s veiled threat, there’s apparently a possibility that, akin to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, we could soon see the Chicago Bears of Gary, Indiana.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Up your idiots
I mean, kudos on not taking (as much) money from the taxpayers, but moving possibly the most historic franchise in the NFL (or at least one of the most historic franchises) to share a state with the Colts (nothing against the Colts, that’s not my point) is just…I mean, does anyone buy this?
I laugh at how pro franchises float ideas like this and the Bears certainly aren’t the first. Just another way in which billionaire owners can maneuver to get taxpayers to fund palaces where they can do business. I dunno. Some may calm it a sick ploy
The McCaskey family are billionaires on paper only. They’re not sitting on a mountain of cash. Sigh…
Did you miss the part where they stated the Bears aren’t asking for $.01 of taxpayer money to build their new palace?
They are only asking for the State to build up the infrastructure around the new site like roads, bridges and stuff like that. You know the stuff States should be spending taxpayers money on!
Based on the number of Indiana trucker license plates I see on the freeways 2,000 miles away, you will certainly get the tax breaks you want. Welcome to Gary, the Armpit of America.
The Gary Bears has a certain ring to it.
Kevin Warren, you must be out of your gd mind!
Cant hurt to ask while the team is finally winning? If the Bears were to win it all this year, the Arlington Heights move might definitely be a priority in 2026
If there were real leaders in Chicago and Illinois, probably wouldn’t have to look elsewhere to build a stadium. What a shame
Yeah those real leaders would just give them a blank check to build a private stadium!
The Bears are building the $2BB stadium, not private taxpayers dollars.
What the Bears asked Arlington Heights to do is build the needed infrastructure around the new stadium. Arlington Heights would get a huge profit on their investment!
Did you actually read the article? They’re not asking for $.01 for the actual stadium.
Gary Indiana?!?! Makes Sox park location look like Wrigley ville
Welp, they don’t call it “Crook” County for no reason.
They won’t do it. At least I hope not…
So davenport is still in play…… 🤞
It’d make about as much sense as Indiana, so there’s that.
They’re still asking for nearly a BILLION dollars in tax breaks & building the necessary infrastructure for a project this large. Respect to Illinois for holding firm on not playing this losing game.
How much are the Bears paying?
$2 billion dollars!
“Sure Jan”
That Arlington Heights official statement is so sad. A public comment acknowledging the Bears are way out of their league, so it’s understandable the team would want to play the field and see if they can do better, but Arlington Heights will still be there for them if things don’t work out. They should’ve saved themselves the effort and simply tagged the Bears on their social media with a post of Say Anything John Cusack standing in the rain gif.
if Pritrzger lets the Bears move to Indiana he wouldn’t get elected Dog Catcher in Illinois ever again especially if the Bears are building the stadium and all they are asking for is a couple of roads and a tax break in return. Revenue they would be able to reclaim with world class events they’d be able to host like Super Bowls and Final Fours and so on. Morons.
The Arlington Heights Teacher Union somehow got involved and demanded Bears pay higher taxes. I mean, how do they have any influence over this? What a shame