Imago
Image Credits: Social Media, taken from X @SoldierField
Imago
Image Credits: Social Media, taken from X @SoldierField
Essentials Inside The Story
- Chicago Bears are leaning away from staying in the Windy City
- Mayor Johnson's efforts to keep the team in Chicago have hit repeated roadblocks
- The Bears' are focused on two possible locations outside of Chicago
Last week, Chicago Bears CEO and President Kevin Warren made it clear that his team is leaning away from staying in the Windy City, while Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is still pushing for a downtown location. But the Bears have reportedly rejected that location immediately despite the financial consequences of that stance.
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“Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is prepping a renewed push for the Bears to pursue a new stadium at the site of the former Michael Reese Hospital, NFL sources said, in an effort that would diverge sharply from the team’s current, two-site deliberation,” Front Office Sports’ Eric Fisher reported on April 6.
“While the mayor is looking to keep the Bears in the city, and has been for months, the team remains focused on two suburban options: one on team-owned land in Arlington Heights, Ill., and a separate proposal in Hammond, Ind., that already has legislative approval in that state.”
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Last week at the NFL’s annual meeting, Kevin Warren noted that project delays are already driving up construction costs, making the stadium more expensive the longer the team waits to finalize a location. Each year of delay could raise the final price tag for the Bears by around $150 million.
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“We’ve been working on our stadium and feel very strongly that we are making progress,” Warren said. “We are in an excellent position. The target is to make sure that we have a decision made by late spring, early summer.”
The Bears’ focus has now shifted entirely outside of Chicago, with two possible locations. The first, in Hammond, Indiana, already has legislative support, giving it a key advantage. The second is the team’s own property in Arlington Heights, a nearly $200 million investment (former Arlington International Racecourse site ) made six years ago that signaled their long-term intentions to build a stadium complex there.
Mayor Brandon Johnson wants a new stadium in downtown Chicago; the Bears have said that’s not a feasible solution. https://t.co/ugtuwufkOe
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 6, 2026
But the Bears’ Arlington Heights plan hasn’t moved forward smoothly as the team has been negotiating property tax arrangements that would influence how it finances the stadium project. Ever since Indiana approved the Bears’ stadium bill in late February, Illinois lawmakers have been slow to respond.
The state House returned to session on April 7, while the Senate is scheduled to reconvene the following week. Despite the Bears putting pressure on Illinois, neither chamber has fully rallied behind a stadium bill that would help keep the team in Illinois. If the bill eventually passes, the Bears would remain in Illinois, but if delays continue, the Bears will seriously consider relocating across the border.
Why did the Bears reject the idea of a stadium in downtown Chicago?
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s efforts to keep the team in Chicago have hit repeated roadblocks. His initial proposal for a lakefront stadium near Soldier Field was dead on arrival due to strong community backlash, and his subsequent pivot to the former Michael Reese Hospital site was also a non-starter, as both the Bears and the NFL have already deemed that location unworkable.
The issues appear largely logistical for the Bears. The site’s narrow layout and active rail lines running through the property create major challenges for the Bears’ new stadium construction and fan access. Of course, that hasn’t stopped Chicago officials from proposing alternative locations in hopes of keeping the Bears in their city. Yet Kevin Warren continues to emphasize the advantages of the two suburban sites currently under consideration.
“When you see that property [Arlington Heights], that having 326 acres, with the train station there, the things that we would be able to do, these are some great sites,” Warren said last week at the NFL’s annual meeting. “Fortunately, the good thing about both of those sites is great locations because our focus is on our fans.”
Ultimately, the Bears are aiming to build a new home with a vision that includes a fixed-roof stadium for the fans to enjoy bigger events like the Super Bowl, the Final Four, and major concerts. Besides that, the Bears want to have all the elements that shape the fan experience, like easy entry and exit routes, expansive parking, tailgating space, and modern stadium amenities.
Written by
Edited by
Antra Koul