All discussions about the Chicago Bears leaving Soldier Field will finally be addressed on Wednesday. This April 24, the Bears organization will be hosting a press conference to announce their plans for a new publicly owned stadium, per WGN Radio 720's Kevin Powell. The upcoming facility reportedly includes additional green and open spaces with access to the lakefront area on the Museum Campus.
This comes amid the Bears' recent shift of location plans from Arlington Heights to the Chicago lakefront. Last year, the organization purchased Arlington Park, a former horse racing track, for nearly $200 million. While they had already begun demolition of existing structures on the site, a property tax dispute suddenly sprouted up as an obstacle.
Lakefront it is then. Assuming nothing goes wrong this time and the upcoming stadium is completed, the Bears will be saying goodbye to Soldier Field — their home for a little over five decades. Plenty of special moments have been made there. From Walter Payton's record-breaking rush to the '85 Bears championship season, the NFL's smallest stadium holds big memories for longtime fans.
Can the Bears finish their Soldier Field era with a bang?
Of course, a new stadium will still take years to build, so the Bears have time to finish their Soldier Field tenure on a high note. They could possibly do that this coming season, looking at the team's offseason activity.
The two biggest acquisitions during free agency were arguably Keenan Allen and D'Andre Swift. Allen's resume needs no explanation. A household name for the Los Angeles Chargers, Allen is expected to wreak havoc alongside DJ Moore this coming season.
Then there's Swift. As the Philadelphia Eagles' leading RB last year, Swift heads to Chicago to join a loaded offense that's awaiting one last piece: A quarterback.
Any fan who's been up to date with the headlines would surely know that the Bears are expected to take college sensation Caleb Williams as this year's number-one draft pick. This became more imminent when the team traded Justin Fields away to the Pittsburgh Steelers. If all goes as projected and the 2022 Heisman winner lands in Chicago, then the Bears' 2024 offense is definitely one to look out for.
The defensive side of the ball also gained reinforcements, particularly in the secondary area. Jonathan Owens and two-time All-Pro Kevin Byard are expected to add depth alongside Jaquan Brisker at the safety position.
For a team rich in history, the recent years have not been kind to the Bears organization. Last year, Chicago finished with a 7-10 record, marking their third straight season with no playoff appearance. Nevertheless, if there's one thing this offseason showed, it's that the team wants to compete, and their current roster looks to be one that will.
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