The Chicago Bears made the playoffs this season for the first time since 2020. They have a star quarterback, a proven coach, and Super Bowl aspirations for the immediate future. But, they don't have a stadium. The Bears are still looking to leave Soldier Field, and massive steps were taken on Thursday toward a new stadium in Indiana.
“Indiana is open for business, and our pro-growth environment continues to attract major opportunities like this partnership with the Chicago Bears,” Indiana Governor Mike Braun wrote on social media. “We’ve identified a promising site near Wolf Lake in Hammond and established a broad framework for negotiating a final deal. If approved, the proposed amendment to Senate Bill 27 puts forward the essential framework to complete this agreement, contingent upon site due diligence proceeding smoothly.”
The Bears issued a statement, as reported by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. “The passage of Sb 27 would mark the most meaningful step forward in our stadium planning efforts to date. We are committed to finishing the remaining site-specific necessary due diligence to support our vision to build a world-class stadium near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond, Indiana.”
Adam Hoge of CHGO reported that the bill passed 24-0 on Thursday morning.
Previously, many optimistic Bears fans thought that the team was using Indiana as leverage against Illinois. Sports Illustrated's Senior NFL Writer Conor Orr reported that there is fire to go along with this smoke. “In speaking to sources close to the situation, this Bears moving to Indiana thing is not just gaining momentum, it feels like an inevitability barring a major change of course from the state of Illinois. This is wild,” Orr reported.
Hammond, Indiana, is just 27 miles away from Soldier Field, but crossing state lines is a tough pill for many fans to swallow. Will the Bears be leaving Illinois?
