Bears Stadium Decision Nears End Zone, Chicago Sites Not 'Feasible': ESPN

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — It appears a decision on where the Chicago Bears will build a new fixed-roof stadium is forthcoming. League sources have told ESPN an announcement on the team's future home will come in the next few weeks.

"If Illinois doesn't pass legislation for Arlington Heights soon, sources believe the Bears are likely to be Indiana bound," said Adam Schefter, ESPN senior NFL Insider, on Monday.

Last week, Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren said he expects the the team to make a call on their future by late spring or early summer.

Schefter said Monday two proposed sites for a new stadium in Chicago are not considered "feasible," according to the league sources. A site next to the team's current home at Soldier Field is off the table due to "political reasons," Schefter reports. The sources also said a project to build a new stadium at the former Michael Reese Hospital site in Bronzeville has been rejected by both the NFL and the Bears.

Illinois lawmakers are set to return to Springfield on Tuesday after adjourning last month before holding a floor vote on a megaprojects property tax bill that had been passed out of committee.

RELATED: Indiana Governor Signs New Stadium Bill As IL Lawmakers Adjourn

HB910 allows for any megaproject involving an investment of $500 million or more to negotiate a freeze on its property tax assessment. The bill, which has stalled since first being introduced in 2024, moved forward after the passage of legislation in Indiana intended to lure the Bears out of Illinois.

In February, Bears brass said the organization's stadium focus had shifted from the proposed redevelopment plan at the former Arlington Park racetrack location to building one near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond, Indiana.

RELATED: Bears Shift Stadium Focus To Indiana As IL Lawmakers Cancel Project Meeting — Team

Last month, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed off on Senate Bill 27, which passed the state's senate by a vote of 45-4 after being advanced by the Indiana House of Representatives by a 95-4 vote. The bill is intended for the state to commit up to $1 billion to help finance the project in Hammond.

The bill would create the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to facilitate building a new stadium by enabling the authority to acquire land, issue long-term bonds and finance constructio

"We made it clear from the beginning that Indiana is open for business," Braun said after signing the bill. "I'm thrilled to sign Senate Bill 27 to create the framework to build a new world-class stadium in Northwest Indiana. Now let's get this across the goal line."

Illinois lawmakers, including Gov. JB Pritzker, have repeatedly said that the legislative maneuvers happening in Indiana do not necessarily mean the team is moving there.

In February 2023, the Bears closed on a $197.2 million property agreement to buy the 326-acre property that housed the former racetrack in Arlington Heights.

In January, Arlington Heights officials held a "Keep the Bears in Illinois" press conference at Village Hall, urging lawmakers to pass the mega projects bill.