The Chicago Bears of… Northwest Indiana? According to Bears team president Kevin Warren, that’s a real possibility.
In an open letter to Bears season-ticket holders, Warren announced that the team plans to explore an expanded search for a new stadium site after hitting a roadblock in negotiations with the state of Illinois over their current plan. That expanded search includes the 326-acre property the franchise already owns in Arlington Heights, Illinois – a 32-mile drive from Soldier Field – but it also includes ‘opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region,’ Warren wrote, ‘including Northwest Indiana.’
According to ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, the main issue in the Bears’ plans for Arlington Heights was over taxes and the use of taxpayer money. The Bears were seeking tax breaks and $855 million in public funds to help build the new stadium, which state lawmakers balked at, Cronin wrote.
In his letter sent on Dec. 17, Warren wrote: ‘We have not asked for state taxpayer dollars to build the stadium at Arlington Park. We asked only for a commitment to essential local infrastructure (roads, utilities, and site improvements) which is more than typical for projects of this size. Additionally, we sought reasonable property tax certainty to secure financing. We listened to state leadership and relied on their direction and guidance, yet our efforts have been met with no legislative partnership.
‘We have been told directly by State leadership, our project will not be a priority in 2026.’
Matt Hill, a spokesperson for Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, said in a statement, ‘Suggesting the Bears would move to Indiana is a startling slap in the face to all the beloved and loyal fans who have been rallying around the team during this strong season. The Governor’s a Bears fan who has always wanted them to stay in Chicago. He has also said that ultimately they are a private business.’
The expanded search is only the latest twist in the team’s quest to build a new stadium.
The Bears initially purchased the site in Arlington Heights – the former home of the Arlington International Racecourse – in 2023 with the intention of building a new, 60,000-seat stadium on the property. In early 2024, those plans shifted when ‘negotiations over property taxes reached a $100 million impasse,’ according to ESPN.
The team revealed a new solution when it announced a $2 billion planned investment to build a new stadium on the Lake Michigan lakeshore, south of Soldier Field, with some of that cost dedicated to developing the area around it. That plan, which would have kept the Bears in Chicago proper, was scrapped ahead of the 2025 regular season as the team was unable to alleviate concerns about the ‘burden placed on taxpayers to fund the infrastructure,’ Cronin wrote.
As a result, the Bears pivoted back to their Arlington Heights plan, as Warren announced in April and doubled down on in a letter to fans ahead of the team’s first game in September. The Bears president’s more recent letter from Dec. 17 suggests that even that option could be in jeopardy.
Chicago is coming off a 31-3 win over the Cleveland Browns at home in Week 15. It’s due to play one of the franchise’s biggest games in years on Saturday, Dec. 20, when it hosts the Green Bay Packers for Week 16.
The Bears currently lead the NFC North and hold the NFC’s No. 2 seed with their 10-4 record. A win over Green Bay would push the Bears to a 1½-game lead over the Packers with two weeks to play, leaving them one win – or a Green Bay loss – away from clinching the division title for the first time since 2018.
