The last time Roger Goodell sat down with Illinois leaders about a new Bears stadium, the team’s two top executives weren’t on the guest list. This week, they were.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Goodell met with Bears president Kevin Warren and chairman George McCaskey earlier this week with Illinois legislative leaders in Chicago. Afterward, both sides committed to keep talking about a path forward for a stadium in Arlington Heights.
Rapoport shared a statement from the team today:
“The Chicago Bears remain committed to building a world-class stadium and mixed-use district for our fans, the Chicagoland community and the team.
“We continue to work collaboratively with local and state leaders in Indiana to advance our stadium development plans in Hammond, where we are finalizing due diligence details across two sites in the Wolf Lake area.
“At the same time, we appreciate the recent engagement from Illinois leadership to explore legislation, which has allowed us to share our feedback.
“We expect productive dialogue with both leadership teams in the coming weeks. We have a responsibility and obligation to explore every option available to the club, and we look forward to developing a transformational project that will attract global events and deliver jobs and economic growth to all of Chicagoland.”
Jan 17, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, US; New Chicago Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren (left) shakes hands with chairman George H. McCaskey (R) during the press conference at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY SportsBears Stadium Watch: Goodell, McCaskey, and Warren Meet With Illinois Leaders on Arlington Heights
According to that statement, Hammond still gets top billing, which tells you the Bears aren’t ready to hand over their leverage. But the Illinois paragraph is the one I keep rereading. Getting to “share our feedback” on legislation means the Bears have a hand in shaping the bill instead of waiting on Springfield to hand them something.
What makes this week different is who was sitting at the table. Over the summer, McCaskey and Warren were framing Indiana as the spot, with Warren calling Hammond the team’s “sole focus.” Since then, the Illinois push has largely been carried by others. Minority owner Pat Ryan got involved in September, and when Goodell met with Gov. JB Pritzker and legislative leaders on Oct. 1, it was Ryan in the room, not McCaskey or Warren.
So seeing the chairman and president personally sit down with Illinois leaders, with the commissioner next to them, is a real shift. It’s the clearest sign yet that the team’s top decision-makers are treating Arlington Heights as a real option, not just a bargaining chip.
(via the Chicago Bears)The timing lines up, too. Illinois lawmakers return for the fall veto session on Nov. 17, and it runs through Dec. 3. That’s the window Pritzker has pointed to for getting something done. It’s the window Crain’s Chicago Business identified last week when it reported the Bears were close to a deal to stay in Illinois.
Nothing is done until a bill clears both chambers. Indiana already has its stadium authority law on the books, and the Bears are clearly still doing the homework in Hammond. But the needle has been trending toward Illinois for a while now, and this week pushed it a little further.
For more on what the proposed deal would actually look like, including the stadium authority structure and the property tax piece, Luis broke down the Crain’s report in his latest Stadium Watch:
REPORT: Bears Stadium Deal to Stay In Illinois is Getting 'Close' t.co/lTQQ889F9E
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