The latest Chicago Bears stadium project updates come from Chairman George McCaskey, President Kevin Warren, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. There are still no shovels in the ground, but it feels significant that the NFL commissioner is weighing in on matters.
George McCaskey, Kevin Warren, and Roger Goodell Sound Off on Bears Stadium Project Updates
GEORGE MCCASKEY THINKS FANS WILL FLOCK TO NEW BEARS STADIUM (NO MATTER WHERE IT IS BUILT)
Chairman George McCaskey sounds like he is comfortable with the idea of the next Bears stadium project being built in Indiana. This quote (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin) is an eye-opener:
“I don’t think in the end it’s going to matter to people. Back in 1976, the New York Football Giants went across state lines to New Jersey. They have been there ever since. The Jets joined them shortly thereafter. And then 35 years later, both teams had an opportunity to reevaluate their situations and recommitted to New Jersey. And somehow the Republic has survived.
“When the Bears moved from Wrigley Field to Soldier Field, it required an adjustment. When we went to Champaign, it required an adjustment. And whether we go to Arlington Park or to Hammond, there is going to be an adjustment period. People are going to have to be allowed some time to get used to it. I think Bears fans are up to it.”
On the one hand, I think McCaskey is right to feel that fans will still show up for the 9-12 games that an Indiana-based stadium would host. Bears fans have shown up in droves to support bad teams in the past. If this front office builds a winner, I think fans will go wherever to see their favorite team.
But on the other hand, McCaskey doesn’t seem to comprehend that there is direct train travel that will take New York-based fans to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Plus, I’m not sure he understands the challenges of making a stadium district a year-round draw for the other 40 weeks of the year when the building isn’t centrally located or easily accessible. However, we can cross those bridges when we get to them (if we do).
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)KEVIN WARREN PROVIDES A NEW TIMELINE
Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren began the week by expressing his hope that the team would have a decision on where a new stadium would be located by the end of spring or early summer. It wasn’t much of a timeline, but the semblance of a timeline helped provide some perspective on the matter. Two days later, Warren gave a more specific timeline regarding the Bears’ stadium project.
“I mean, the costs are going up,” Warren said, via the Chicago Tribune. “The financial markets are, they’re, because of the war (in Iran), all the different things we have going on, they can be a little uncertain. So it’s time for us to make a decision, and then to be able to finish the design, based upon the location, and be in a position to build and open up by 2030.”
Bears Stadium Renderings via ManicaTargeting 2030 for the opening of a new Bears stadium is the most newsworthy thing we’ve gotten from the team in a while. But it also isn’t necessarily a new update. If you’ll recall, Warren said back in September 2025 that he wanted to finalize a stadium plan so the team could bid on a Super Bowl as soon as 2031. It was the first instance in which we got a tangible target date.
I can’t shake the feeling that if the team were serious about Indiana giving them the best deal for a new Bears stadium, they would have already announced their plans to move and would already be well on their way toward building out what they want. With that being said, it is convenient that the Bears’ new timeline aligns with the end of the Illinois legislative session. The state’s fiscal new year begins on July 1. We’ll see where we are when that date comes.
ROGER GOODELL SOUNDS OFF ON SOLDIER FIELD
Sheesh! Even NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (via CHGO on Twitter/X) is pressing the involved parties to get something done:
Roger Goodell on the Bears stadium talk:“They are still playing at Soldier Field which has got a lot of great tradition, but as far as advancements in regard to the fan experience I would say it’s not at the top of the list there, so they need to find a solution.”Adds “it’s… pic.twitter.com/XeDah99lxs
— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) March 31, 2026The money quote:
“They are still playing at Soldier Field which has got a lot of great tradition, but as far as advancements in regard to the fan experience I would say it’s not at the top of the list there, so they need to find a solution.”
The Commish is spot on about Soldier Field and the lack of advancements when it comes to the fan experience at the current Bears stadium. However, where was this energy before? Why wait until now to express this? Where was this 5-10 years ago? Commissioner Goodell’s comments are accurate, but they come off as hollow when this isn’t a new issue.
EXTRA POINTS AND FINAL THOUGHTS
If I were to put on a tin-foil hat, I’d pitch you on a conspiracy theory that the team is using this newly stated timeline to create the appearance that they are allowing Illinois to keep the Bears stadium project from crossing state lines, despite knowing their plans involve a move to Indiana. The biggest thing keeping me from going down that rabbit hole is that the Bears have never, in their history, shown enough competence to pull off that Jedi mind-trick. I’m not convinced they could pull off the carnival version of it. Well, this is a considerably annoying update from long-time Chicago sports broadcaster Lou Canellis via 104.3 The Score:The Bears are "tired of waiting" on the state of Illinois as their stadium pursuit continues, @LouCanellis told @mullyhaugh."It's costing them significant money," Canellis says.Canellis shares what he thought of comments from Bears brass at the NFL owners meetings. pic.twitter.com/R9ZLZk0gUj
— 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) April 2, 2026 Sigh. No one told the Bears to buy that Arlington Park property that the team is currently losing money on because it sits vacant. No one told the team to spend $197 million on a property that you didn’t have a well-thought-out plan for in the first place. And no one certainly told them to pay more than $100 million more than what their team of assessors valued the property at years ago. The team can be mad at the state for whatever reasons it can come up with, but this franchise should be looking in the mirror when it starts playing the blame game about the Bears’ stadium. If Rule No. 1 is to “follow the money,” Rule No. 2 must certainly be “go see Rule No. 1.” Please keep in mind that at the heart of this stadium issue (when it comes to the Arlington Park side of things) has long been taxes and public money. Whether it was a disagreement on the property tax valuation, getting a tax break thanks to help from local school districts, or asking for public money to cover a portion of the cost of what was (at the time) a projected $4.6 billion project. The unresolved tax situation has opened the door for Indiana to carve out a path and create an escape hatch for the franchise to build a new Bears stadium elsewhere. I’ll never forget thinking about the parallels of the Bears’ business ops giving an outgoing, retiring president the green light to get the ball rolling on a stadium project that they wouldn’t be around to see finish, and the team’s football ops sticking a rookie quarterback with a coach they were on the cusp of jettisoning in a year. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren has handled this to the best of his abilities. But it’s not as if Ted Phillips gave him a steady foundation to work with when he turned the keys to the Bears stadium project over to the new guy in 2023. Every time I do one of these posts, I find myself wondering how plausible it would be for the franchise to hand off the Bears stadium project responsibilities to Ben Johnson because it so often feels like he is the only one who knows what they’re doing at Halas Hall. © David Banks-Imagn ImagesSUBSCRIBE TO THE BN BEARS PODCAST: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
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