Bears' stadium choice 'late spring, early summer'

PHOENIX -- One day after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stressed the importance of the Chicago Bears coming to a decision "relatively soon" on where they will build their new stadium, team president and CEO Kevin Warren laid out the team's projected timeline.

"We're in an excellent position," Warren said Wednesday at the NFL's league meetings. "I recently said that the target is to make sure that we have a decision made by springtime here soon. Late spring, early summer would be that from a target."

The Bears will choose between building a domed stadium in either Hammond, Indiana, or Arlington Heights, Illinois, where they currently own 326 acres of land. The process of leaving Soldier Field, their home since 1971, began in earnest five years ago when the team purchased land in the suburb located northwest of Chicago.

But the Bears have encountered roadblocks with the state of Illinois over property taxes, which led the team to explore a potential site in northwest Indiana.

"I've said to our family, 'We need to be patient and let the deal come to us,'" chairman George H. McCaskey said. "We think a deal will materialize somewhere. We're comfortable with either site. We have people at the Bears working with public servants in both Indiana and Illinois trying to get this done."

The Bears have never played outside of Illinois since they were founded in 1920. The prospect of moving across state lines while staying in the Chicagoland region is something McCaskey does not believe will negatively affect the fan base.

"I don't think in the end it's going to matter to people," McCaskey said. "Back in 1976, the New York Football Giants went across state lines to New Jersey. They have been there ever since. The Jets joined them shortly thereafter. And then 35 years later, both teams had an opportunity to reevaluate their situations and recommitted to New Jersey. And somehow the Republic has survived.

"When the Bears moved from Wrigley Field to Soldier Field, it required an adjustment. When we went to Champaign, it required an adjustment. And whether we go to Arlington Park or to Hammond, there is going to be an adjustment period. People are going to have to be allowed some time to get used to it. I think Bears fans are up to it."

The Bears are waiting to see if the PILOT bill passes during the Illinois general assembly's spring session, which ends on May 31. State lawmakers introduced the proposed legislation, which would freeze property tax assessments on the sites of "megaprojects" and allow developers to negotiate a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) with local governments.

"I think the biggest thing is, in all these big projects, you have to have tax certainty, which is critically important," Warren said. "We would not be able to build a stadium without tax certainty. Fortunately we do have tax certainty in the state of Indiana, from that standpoint. There are no property-tax taxes for our stadium in the state of Indiana, so that is certain. That legislation has passed. But here in Illinois, for us to even consider an opportunity we have to have tax certainty. Without that we can't proceed forward."

The Bears had hoped to begin construction on their new stadium in both 2024 and 2025, but nothing materialized as the team explored multiple options after it struggled to come to an agreement on its property taxes with Arlington Heights. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell voiced support for the Bears' efforts on Tuesday and said he had been in touch with Illinois government officials to advance the project forward.

"They have looked not only in Indiana but also in Illinois and other sites and have invested in a site [in Arlington Heights]," Goodell said. "So I think they have been responsible with that. And I think it's really important that they come to a resolution on this relatively soon. It's important. I've spoken to officials in Illinois that this is an important time to get this resolved."

The Bears are also awaiting a resolution from the NFL regarding the league's decision to not award the team two compensatory third-round picks after Ian Cunningham was hired as the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons in January.

Cunningham, who is Black, was the assistant general manager in Chicago from 2022 to 2025. Because Matt Ryan -- Atlanta's president of football -- is considered the team's primary football executive, the Bears did not receive draft compensation per the Rooney Rule for his departure.

McCaskey, Warren, general manager Ryan Poles and chief legal officer Krista Whitaker recently met with Goodell in New York City to state why they felt the league should award them two compensatory picks. With the NFL draft fast approaching on April 23, the Bears expect to hear a decision from the league soon.

"The league has to think big picture. What are the consequences of us ruling in a particular way in this particular case, and how would that be applied to the other 30 teams in the future?" McCaskey said. "So it's a big question. It's not a narrow inquiry. They have to they have to broaden their the scope of their inquiry."