EmBEARassing: Bears Once Again Show Incompetence In New Stadium Talks

Dec 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Helicopter are seen during a flyover during the national anthem prior to the game between the Cleveland Browns and the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

EmBEARassing: Bears Once Again Show Incompetence In New Stadium Talks

Originally posted on On Tap Sports Net | By Tommy Erbe | Last updated May 21, 2026 12:21 PM ET

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The Chicago Bears have been threatening a move to Arlington Heights since before Soldier Field was their home. Even when they played at Wrigley Field in their earlier days, the Bears talked about moving to the suburbs. You’d think they’d know what steps to take to do that by now. It’s always been their dream and plan to move. It turns out they don’t know a bleeping thing.

Days before the self-imposed deadline to decide on a location, the Bears have been exposed by a state senator for not following proper protocols to request substantial funding for a new stadium. Apparently, despite reports of there being no chance, the Bears have rekindled talks with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson about staying within the city to build a new stadium if a deal with Arlington Heights falls through. Senator Bill Cunningham says that those talks created an increase in opposition from the Chicago members, stalling the PILOT bill that is Illinois’s only hope in keeping the Bears in the state.

Meanwhile, the Bears are not even taking proper steps to secure funding for a stadium in Arlington Heights. Via Mary Ann Ahern and James Neveau of NBC 5 Chicago, Cunningham says, “(The Bears) have made a substantial request for a commitment to fund infrastructure improvements around Arlington Heights. We can’t do that without a traffic study…and the Bears don’t have one yet. The Bears are asking for $850 million in capital expenditures from the state. We can’t line those things out unless we have a traffic study and we know what those dollars are going to be spent on.”

Chicago Bears Not Prepared for Arlington Heights Proposal; Continue Stepping on Their Own Feet.

Dec 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Helicopter are seen during a flyover during the national anthem. Prior to the game between the Cleveland Browns and the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

Kevin Warren and the Chicago Bears keep leaving Hammond, Indiana, on the table as an option for their new stadium. It’s no secret that it would be more cost-efficient for them. But here they are, continuing to do everything they can to stay in Illinois, and doing it embarrassingly poorly.

They have not taken the proper steps to state their case for funding to build in Arlington Heights. Chicago keeps getting dragged along as if it’s a realistic option, while J.B. Pritzker confirms Brandon Johnson has nothing to offer the discussion. This whole process has been a mess from start to finish, dating back to the Bears’ first threats of moving in the 1960’s.

Soldier Field’s renovations were botched in the early 2000’s. The city cannot afford to fix its mistakes; the state won’t fund its mistakes. The Bears are not prepared for Arlington Heights, and they clearly bluffed with Hammond, Indiana. This continues to be, and will continue to be, absolutely emBEARassing.

This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission.

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