Roger Goodell’s Bears update provides hope to Chicago amid fight against $4bn Indiana move

Aug 27, 2026 - 14:00

Indiana has thrown everything at the Chicago Bears in a bid to tempt the iconic franchise across state lines.

Illinois fumbled when it came time to contribute public funds to a $4 billion stadium project that will see the Bears leave Soldier Field.

The Bears’ first choice was always Arlington Heights, but money talks

But despite all signs pointing across state lines and a site in Indiana being explored, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell insists talks are still ongoing and it’s not a done deal yet.

The Bears’ original plan was to build on a 326-acre plot in Arlington Heights, which the team bought for $197.2 million in 2023.

A lack of finding from Illinois lawmakers saw Indiana expected to land the team, but Goodell thinks both options are still on the table.

“There’s no specific timetable from my standpoint, other than we know that they are looking at the alternate groups, Indiana or Arlington Heights,” he said, via Jarrett Bell of USA Today. “We want to make sure that Arlington Heights and Illinois have an opportunity, as well as Indiana, to put their best foot forward.”

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Goodell confirmed at the NFL owners’ meeting that he recently spoke to officials from Illinois.

“I’m involved in a lot of stadium efforts,” Goodell said. “It’s not unusual for me to be involved in conversations with either public officials or others. Or our staff.

“There are important decisions, not just for the communities but for teams and the NFL. So these are important things for us.”

Clock ticking for Bears stadium

The Bears stadium saga had been going on for years and despite what Goodell says publicly, he will be keen to get a deal over the line.

Illinois will need to cough up some money to tip the scales back in its favor after the team reiterated that a move to Hammond is their sole focus.

“The clarity is we’re moving forward in Hammond,” said chairman George McCaskey said.

Concept images of the stadium have already been released

The surrounding development would generate extra revenue

“We’ve identified one viable site — the Lost Marsh golf course.

“We’re looking at another site to see if it is viable – the Wolf Lake Terminal. We’re doing our due diligence on those sites.

“It’s time-consuming, it’s deliberate, it takes a while, and we just need people to be patient.”

Bears fans have been told to be patient, but the hope is that a decision could come soon.

“The moment that we finish our due diligence and have the appropriate capital stack and financing together, we are looking forward to making the decision so we can break ground and get our project going forward,” general manager Kevin Warren said.

“While we were working on the Lost Marsh site, we discovered a potentially new site that could even be as good or better than the Lost Marsh site.