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Chicago, United States – September 01, 2019: Drone shot over Soldier Field with downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan in the background. A stock image of the outline of the state of Indiana bearing the state's flag has been added.
The last time we checked, it appeared that the Chicago Bears leaving the city, and the state of Illinois as a whole, for the city of Hammond, Indiana, was a done deal. But now it appears that may not be true after all, and Bears fans may have NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to thank.
In June, the Illinois House of Representatives adjourned without passing a proposal that would have allowed municipalities in Cook County to create stadium authorities to help support a new Bears stadium.
“The bill came over from the Senate after many of us had been up for 20 hours, and it is not enough time to vet a really important bill,” Rep. Lindsey LaPointe said at the time, seemingly setting the team’s departure in stone.
But it turns out not all hope is lost for Chicagoans, and the NFL is making a last-gasp attempt to keep the Bears in Chicago.
Earlier this week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell accompanied #Bears officials Kevin Warren and George McCaskey to a meeting with Illinois legislative leaders in Chicago. They promised to have continued conversations about a path forward for a stadium in Arlington Heights or Chicago.
Statement:
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 6, 2026
Roger Goodell Steps In To Try And Keep Bears In Chicago
According to ESPN’s Ian Rapoport, Goodell recently joined owner George McCaskey and team president Kevin Warren in a meeting with Illinois state legislators. During the meeting, the sides discussed solutions to help keep the team in Chicago or, at very least, the surrounding area in the state of Illinois.
“The Chicago Bears remain committed to building a world-class stadium and mixed-use district for our fans, the Chicagoland community and the team,” the organization said in a statement released Friday.
“We continue to work collaboratively with local and state leaders in Indiana to advance our stadium development plans in Hammond, where we are finalizing due diligence details across two sites in the Wolf Lake area.
“At the same time, we appreciate the recent engagement from Illinois leadership to explore legislation, which has allowed us to share our feedback.
“We expect productive dialogue with both leadership teams in the coming weeks. We have a responsibility and obligation to explore every option available to the club, and we look forward to developing a transformational project that will attract global events and deliver jobs and economic growth to all of Chicagoland.”
The Bears belong in Chicago. Everybody knows that. So hopefully all the sides can come to their senses and get a deal done to keep the team there moving forward.