Bears say they have 'exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago,' paving way for move to suburbs or Indiana
· Yahoo Sports
The Chicago Bears are very likely going to be playing their home games outside the city in the near future. Amid the team’s search for a new stadium site, it released a statement Thursday reiterating that the city of Chicago was no longer in consideration.
Instead, the team is focused on either Arlington Heights — a Chicago suburb — or Hammond, Indiana, per the statement.
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"The Chicago Bears have exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago, which was our initial goal," the team said 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."
The Bears have signaled for years that Chicago was an unlikely option for the team’s new stadium. After the team purchased Arlington International Racecourse in 2021, it became clear that the Bears were looking to leave the city in favor of the Chicago suburbs.
While the Bears made at least one proposal to the city, which included a domed stadium on Chicago’s lakefront, the team seemingly ruled out that idea with its statement Thursday. That clashed with recent comments made by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who said the Bears met with the city’s corporation counsel to discuss the lakefront stadium in recent weeks.
As the Bears were attempting to figure out a move to Arlington Heights, another suitor emerged for their services. In December, team president Kevin Warren floated the idea of the team moving to Indiana in a letter to season-ticket holders. Since then, the team has continued to flirt with Indiana lawmakers, who have tried their best to entice the team to move to the state.
The Bears are looking for a resolution soon. The team is hoping to open a new, domed stadium in 2030, and that process needs to get underway soon in order for that date to be a possibility.
The team could get its answer before the end of the month. The Illinois General Assembly has until May 31 to hammer out a state budget. If an agreement isn’t reached by then, the assembly will go on adjournment.
The Bears’ new stadium is a major part of those talks, and some expect the Bears will receive some type of incentive to stay in Illinois if and when the new budget passes.