Bears chairman gives update on Indiana stadium possibility

While the Chicago Bears made their 2026 preseason debut on Saturday, the focus was more on the long-term outlook for the franchise.

In a television interview that kicked off the second half of play in Chicago's preseason game against the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field on Saturday, Bears chairman George H. McCaskey discussed the possibility of the team leaving the city of Chicago and relocating to nearby Indiana.

"The clarity is we're moving forward in Hammond," McCaskey said of the potential move to Hammond, Indiana. "We've identified one viable site, the Lost Marsh Golf Course. We're looking at another site to see if it is viable, the Wolf Lake Terminals, and we're doing our due diligence on those sites."

Chicago Bears fans are asked for patience as new stadium process unfolds

McCaskey asked for patience from Bears fans as the franchise looks at potential sites and decides if it will indeed be making the move from Soldier Field to Hammond.

"It's time-consuming. It's deliberate. It takes a while, and we just need people to be patient," McCaskey said.

Patience, however, is one thing that many Bears fans don't have when it comes to the team potentially leaving Illinois. Recent statements have indicated the move to Hammond isn't a completely done deal, but it's clear that the Bears are ready to move forward with a new stadium in one of two states.

Earlier in the week, McCaskey confirmed that the team would remain as the Chicago Bears, "whether we're in Arlington [Heights, Illinois] or whether we're in Hammond."

However, while remaining in Illinois is still a possibility, it's clear that the Bears have ramped up their focus on a new stadium in Hammond. Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren said earlier in the week that, "We don't have an offer from the state of Illinois, and our focus now is on Indiana."