The Chicago Bears have been playing hardball with the State of Illinois for years now, and it looks like the game just got real. After three seasons of trying-and failing-to get Governor J.B.
Pritzker on board with their stadium plans, the Bears are officially widening their search for a new home. And this time, they’re looking beyond state lines.
Let’s be clear: the Bears weren’t asking for a blank check. Far from it.
The organization was prepared to foot the bill for the stadium itself. All they wanted from the state was some help with infrastructure-roads, utilities, transit access.
That’s standard stuff when you’re talking about a project of this magnitude. But Pritzker wouldn’t budge.
Not only did he say no, he basically told the team not to bother asking again in 2026. That message hit hard at Halas Hall.
Now, team president Kevin Warren has the green light from the McCaskey family to start exploring new options. And not just in the Chicago suburbs-northwest Indiana is officially in play.
To some, that might sound like a bluff. After all, the Bears have been rooted in Chicago since the 1920s.
The idea of them packing up and leaving the state entirely feels almost unthinkable. But here’s the thing: this isn’t just posturing.
Reports indicate the Bears are already conducting early site tests in Hammond, Indiana. That’s not a threat-that’s action.
And the timing? Well, it couldn’t be more pointed.
Just as the Bears are ramping up their out-of-state search, the Kansas City Chiefs dropped a bombshell of their own: they’re leaving Missouri. The three-time Super Bowl champs announced plans to move into a brand-new stadium in Kansas by 2031, lured by a deal where the state is covering a whopping 70% of the costs.
Seventy percent.
Meanwhile, the Bears were asking for about 17% of their project’s total cost from Illinois-just a sliver by comparison. But even that was too much for Pritzker. Now he’s staring down the possibility of becoming the first Illinois governor in over 75 years to let a major professional sports team walk out of the state.
And here’s the kicker: the Bears are finally turning the corner on the field. After years of rebuilding and retooling, the team is showing real signs of life.
This isn’t just about a stadium anymore-it’s about momentum. It’s about capitalizing on a rare moment when the franchise is gaining traction both on and off the field.
The Chiefs’ move should serve as a wake-up call. If a franchise as iconic and successful as Kansas City is willing to walk away from Arrowhead-a stadium drenched in history-then nobody should assume the Bears are bluffing.
This isn’t about loyalty to a zip code. It’s about long-term vision, financial viability, and creating a modern NFL experience for fans and players alike.
Pritzker may have thought he held the leverage in these negotiations. But once the Bears started looking beyond Illinois, that dynamic shifted.
A move to a Chicago suburb is one thing. A move to another state?
That’s a whole different conversation.
The Bears aren’t just exploring options anymore. They’re actively preparing for a future that might not include Illinois. And unless something changes fast, that future might arrive sooner than anyone expected.