Report: Bears can affordably break their Soldier Field lease in 2026

The Chicago Bears are considering building a new stadium in the suburbs. However, according to Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot, the team has a lease that binds them to Soldier Field until 2033. 

The lease reportedly won't stop the Bears from leaving Soldier Field before that point. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Bears' lease would allow them to leave Soldier Field in 2026 for a penalty of $84 million. 

An $84 million fee would seem like nothing to the Bears, whose new stadium could cost more than $2 billion. 

"The numbers associated with the Soldier Field lease are just small," University of Chicago sports economist Allen Sanderson said. "$84 million is just a fraction of what a new stadium will cost."

The Bears have confirmed that they are considering buying the Arlington National Racecourse in Arlington Heights, potentially to tear it down and build a new stadium.

Hall of Famer and Bears legend Mike Ditka opposes the Bears moving to the suburbs because the team "belongs in Chicago."

The Bears have called Soldier Field home since 1971. It is one of the oldest stadiums in the NFL.