The Chicago Bears want a divorce from Soldier Field. After playing for more than 50 years in a frigid and rather small stadium, the team has “exhausted every opportunity” to continue being in the city. The Bears have also begun looking for possible locations outside Illinois, which the government is

“I’ve seen miracles happen every year,” Governor J.B. Pritzker said on May 21, during a week that has seen a rift develop between his office and the Mayor’s office over this matter. “I feel confident that there will be a bill that gets brought up in the Senate, and then hopefully they’ll pass it and send it over to the House, and that bill will be about whether or not we’re keeping them in the state of Illinois or letting them go to Indiana.”

Pritzker’s optimism arrives as the Bears stadium plans and Illinois future reach a nadir. The governor, the franchise, and the NFL seem to be on board with the idea of a move to suburban Arlington Heights. The Bears have already purchased a 326-acre property in the area, which is a sign that they want to stay in Illinois. But Mayor Brandon Johnson has suddenly presented a new development.

Reports surfaced that the Bears expressed willingness in recent weeks to revisit a lakefront stadium proposal in talks with the Mayor. This is despite the Bears publicly insisting that only Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana, are their preferred choices for now. The team is not interested in this third option.

At the center of these negotiations is a proposed ‘megaprojects’ legislation. This would provide the Bears with long-term property tax certainty and infrastructure assistance crucial to building a new home. The Bears are seeking roughly $855 million in public funding and guarantees in property taxes for the next four decades. Pritzker had initially been critical of that amount, which was to come from the taxpayers’ pocket.

But the Governor chalked out a plan that best suits the Bears and the Public, and hopes that the bill can be passed by May 31. The sooner the Illinois House passes the legislation, the quicker Pritzker and everyone who wants the Bears to stay can heave a sigh of relief.

Pritzker has criticized Johnson for still not coming up with a financial plan for this relocation, which is unavoidable at this point. The Bears’ contract with Soldier Field runs till 2033. But given the sentiment they have about Chicago, it looks like the team will move out earlier than agreed upon.

This comes at a time when the franchise has found on-field success and stability. Quarterback Caleb Williams and head coach Ben Johnson pushed the Bears back into playoff relevance after an NFC North title last year. This is now a team with genuine optimism for the future, after years of stop-start on-field progress.

Across the state border, Indiana is waiting to give them a grand welcome.

Indiana has already set the wheels in motion for the Bears to cross state lines

The House Ways and Means Committee in Indiana passed an amendment to State Bill 27 in February that will allow for the creation of the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority. It is responsible for sourcing the funds and resources to build this new stadium, which is proposed to be built on Wolf Lake. Front Office Sports reported that the Bears are close to finalizing an agreement for this project, which could be worth $5 billion.

“We would not be able to build a stadium without tax certainty,” team president Kevin Warren said previously. “Fortunately, we do have tax certainty in the state of Indiana.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has also publicly urged the Bears to resolve soon, and Warren expects a solution to be decided upon by this spring or summer. While Illinois officials have been sparring among themselves, talks between the team and Indiana seem optimistic. The latter at least has a plan.

Indiana wants to secure revenue from a variety of taxes. The majority of it is to come from the stadium development district. Taxes will also be sourced from a 12% admission fee on events in this new stadium, a doubled hotel tax in Lake County, and a 1% food-and-beverage tax in Lake and Porter counties, per WTHI-TV10.

“I think it will boil down to where they want to be for the next 50 years in terms of a good business partner,” Braun added.

The Bears increasingly sound like a franchise already preparing for life beyond Chicago. But Pritzker is seeking a Hail Mary here, trying to keep the beloved team in the home state.