Bears Stadium Update: NFL Leaders To Meet While Illinois Humiliation Continues

This comes as a response to comments made by one of Johnson’s top aides, raising concerns about the legislation that needs to be passed to build a new stadium. As the lawmakers and leaders continue to bring down each other’s attempts to keep the Bears in Chicago, the Indiana Bears are becoming more and more realistic.

Everything began when the Bears’ ownership purchased the land where Arlington Park was in February of 2023. After clearing the land, it was believed that it would be the next home of the Bears. But legislation and politics have hindered all plans. It’s to the point where the best option for the organization might be to build in Northwest Indiana instead.

While Illinois Leaders Step Over Themselves, NFL Leaders will Discuss Stadium Plans for the Chicago Bears.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears will take the discussion of their new stadium plans to the NFL owners’ meetings this week in Orlando, Florida. As Dan Wiederer points out, the Bears have made it a goal to make a decision by the end of May. Time continues to tick down while progress in Illinois remains stalled.

Just like the sale of franchises, NFL owners must vote on whether a team can build a new stadium. The Bears look to be moving out of Chicago and into a neighboring community.

Three teams and stadiums come to mind that envisioned the same things for their franchises. The San Francisco 49ers built their new stadium in Santa Clara, California. It is roughly 40 miles away from downtown San Francisco. This year was the second time the Super Bowl was held at Levi Stadium. Reports during the week and after the game were that the stadium was accommodating. However, it was much too far away from the big city.

The Minnesota Vikings needed a new stadium, no matter how it was built, because of the roof failing on the Metrodome in 2010. They did host a Super Bowl in 2018, though, and US Bank Stadium, right downtown. The reviews from that week were how it was too cold to want to go out and do anything. Indianapolis, Indiana, also hosted a Super Bowl in 2012. But it faced the same problem of it being too cold outside to enjoy.

Hot Take: What are we Even Doing?

Where the stadium in Arlington Heights would be is just about 40 miles from Chicago. Hammond is just about 25 miles south. Both are frigidly cold in the winter, specifically in February. A Super Bowl would be exactly what people say they do not want.

Additionally, with the rate at which stadiums are being built, and the places the NFL likes to return for Super Bowls, the best Chicago would do is host the game maybe once every 20 years. Yes, there is more to a new stadium than hosting the big game. Owning their own place with year-round revenue for indoor events is something the Bears do not have currently. But here comes the issue of being far away from the big city, a city with arguably one of the top-three worst traffic situations.

One final point: the Bears franchise is worth $8.2 BILLION. If the McCaskey family were to sell the team, the bidding would go north of $10 billion. If you’re worth that much, or could buy something for that much, you have enough means to build your own stadium and pay the taxes due to do so.

It figures the Bears are finally good, and we have to spend our offseason talking about this rather than Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams being everything we’ve longed for.