The Chicago Bears are one step closer to leaving not only the city of Chicago, but also the state of Illinois, and heading over the border into Indiana.A statement from Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey and President and CEO Kevin Warren, posted to their X account on Friday reads: “Yesterday, the Chicago Bears Board of Directors met and voted to advance our stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site to be selected.“We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana to the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city,” the statement said. “It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”
Adam Schefter, ESPN’s NFL insider, cited a source in a separate post as saying: “There is more work to do but barring anything very strange, it’s a done deal.”
The fate of the franchise has become a sore spot in Illinois politics. Last month, Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL), widely tipped as a 2028 presidential candidate, criticized Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson for having “no plan” to keep the reigning NFC North champions in the city despite being in office for three years. Earlier this week, Johnson said that “the best place for a fan to enjoy our Chicago Bears, it’s downtown.” He also told the Chicago Sun-Times “there’s no plan in Hammond.”
