After spending over 50 years at Soldier Field, Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears are relocating to Hammond, Indiana. This move certainly pulls the Bears away from the legislative roadblocks around Arlington Heights and high property taxes in Illinois and Chicago. However, Bears legend Brian Urlacher didn’t seem to like that move for a major reason. 

“I do not like the Bears playing anywhere but Soldier Field,” Urlacher said on his appearance on ESPN’s This Is Football. “Even if they went to Arlington Heights, which is in Illinois, they’re gonna be in a dome. If they go to Indiana, they’d be in a dome. I don’t like the idea of them playing in a dome anywhere.”

“Financially, makes a ton of sense for them to go to Indiana. They don’t own Soldier Field. So, the Sunday is not very profitable for them. You see the Cowboys, Jerry Jones owns that stadium. He’s doing pretty well on Sundays,” Urlacher continued. “The Bears don’t own their stadium. And the State of Illinois for some reason is not giving them as good a deal as maybe they should. And Indiana is willing to offer more. So, I get it, man. I don’t like it. But business wise, it makes a ton of sense for them to go to Indiana. It’s only 25 extra minutes from downtown. So, what’s the big deal? Except they’d be playing in a dome which I don’t like.” 

The Bears previously focused on moving to Arlington Heights, Illinois. They even got a 326-acre property in 2023 to build a stadium for $197.2 million. But the state opposed allocating state funding for the megaproject. As per Front Office Sports, a state-of-the-art stadium development could easily cost up to $5 billion. 

That’s where Indiana came in as a viable prospect. As per Indiana Capital Journal, Todd Huston, the Indiana House Speaker, claimed that the state would invest $1 million in public funding for the Bears reallocation. The state would also invest in building the infrastructure around the stadium. And the money would come from a renegotiated or amended Indiana Toll Road lease that was originally valued at $3.85 billion in 2006. 

Meanwhile, the Bears have pledged $2 billion of their own money towards this project. And Governor of Indiana, Mike Braun took to X to welcome a partnership with the Bears. But it’s not just the monetary aspect that favors Bears’ move to Hammond. The City of Gary has much more to offer. 

It has a population of 7.1 million, all connected through a one-hour drive. The city witnesses about 250,000 daily traffic through the I-80/94 corridor. The spot is about 30 minutes away from Chicago Loop and is pretty convenient to access. On top of that, Indiana is up for three premier sites – Gary West End with 400 acres of land, Buffington Harbor with 145 acres of land and Chicago Skyway access, and Miller Beach with 760 acres of land that’s adjacent to National Park assets. 

Gary is also a strategic vantage point with pro-business tax climate and Indiana Economic Development Corporation incentives. The Chicago Bears can acquire raw materials from US Steel Gary Works, Gary Ozinga Plant, and Local Rail Intermodals short line delivery. Plus, it eliminates capital gains on investment. And for fans flying into the sites, the international airport is just 10 minutes away from all the three sites. But for Urlacher, it was a dome that seemed like an ugly fit. Well, he also disclosed the one advantage the Bears had in Soldier Field. 

“It’s the only advantage the Bears have. If you go to Soldier Field in November-December, it’s gonna suck,” Urlacher said. “The weather is not gonna be good. You’re not gonna like it. And playing there, you practice in it, you get used to it. There’s some advantage to that.” 

A dome can counter Chicago’s harsh winter weather. On top of that, a modern stadium will likely have more premium seating, year-round events, larger sponsorship potential, and more controlled game-day setup.

Urlacher and traditional fans may hate losing the outdoor elements. But the modern financial realities of the NFL are impossible to ignore.