Will the Chicago Bears move to Indiana? Or are they locked into Arlington Heights? Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker revealed what is really going on with new stadium talks amid an increased Indiana threat.
As the Bears bask in the afterglow of a dramatic turnaround under the leadership of head coach Ben Johnson, it seems like turmoil is rising to the surface. And Pritzker said he was caught off guard, according to capitolnewsillinois.com.
Pritzker expressed that he was “very disappointed” that the Bears’ statement did not “say anything about the advancement that’s been made in the state of Illinois.”
Where will Bears’ new stadium land?
Pritzker said the issued statement by the team is “not some confirmation that they’re moving to Indiana.”
“We had eight people in that discussion involving the legislators, involving the governor’s office, involving the Bears and their representatives,” Pritzker said. “And so, again, lots of progress, but a surprise this morning to wake up and see that statement.”
Pritzker further said that he believes progress has been made to keep the stadium in Illinois, according to nbcchicago.com
“We have made a lot of advancement in that conversation with them,” he said. “I’m surprised, dismayed, very disappointed in what I saw in a statement.
“We mostly agreed on a bill that would move forward this morning. They asked us not to move forward because they wanted to tweak some items on the bill. I have to say it’s very disappointing to hear that they would put that statement out but not say anything about the advancement that’s been made in the state of Illinois. We’re waiting to hear what the Bears would like to do next.”
The Bears turned in an 11-6 season in 2025. They roared into the playoffs and earned a come-from-behind 31-27 win over the rival Packers. It seemed like Johnson had the team headed for a big postseason splash.
However, they fell short with a 20-17 loss to the Rams that went into overtime in the Division Round.
