A major question heading into the NFL offseason focused on the Chicago Bears. Would the team stay in Illinois or move across state lines to Indiana?
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The team has now provided one piece of information. The Bears have set a timeline for their decision. CEO Kevin Warren has said that the Bears have the target of late spring or early summer for the final decision, per ESPN.
At one point, it seemed that the Bears would not depart Illinois, the team's home since 1920. However, issues with taxes created a roadblock for a stadium on the Arlington Heights area property that the team already owns.
Warren wrote in an open letter to the Bears fans that the team needed the Illinois state legislature to pass a bill freezing property taxes for larger-scale construction projects by October 2025, which did not happen.
Although the PILOT bill could pass by May 31, which would help developers negotiate a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes. This bill would address this tax issue for the Bears if it passes.
Warren wrote in December 2025 that the team needed to explore other parts of the Chicagoland area for a spot to potentially build their new stadium, which included Indiana. He said that this move was not about creating leverage.
Team chairman George H. McCaskey also weighed in on the potential move. According to ESPN, he indicated that moving the Bears to Indiana would not have a negative impact on the fanbase.
"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."
