Chicago, Illinois: Goodell, Warren and McCaskey Meet Illinois Leaders as Bears Weigh Arlington Heights Against Hammond

CHICAGO, Illinois (Orbit Post) NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell met with Illinois legislative leaders in Chicago earlier this week alongside Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey and team president and chief executive Kevin Warren, NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport reported on Friday. Both sides agreed to keep talking about a path forward for a new Bears stadium in Arlington Heights or Chicago.

The meeting matters because of who was in the room. When Goodell met Governor JB Pritzker and legislative leaders on October 1, Bears minority owner Pat Ryan attended for the team, not McCaskey or Warren. Over the summer, Warren had called Hammond, Indiana the team's sole focus for a new stadium. This week, the chairman and the president sat at the Illinois table in person, with the commissioner beside them.

The team puts both states in writing

The Bears released a statement on Friday, November 6 that kept both states in play. The team said it remains committed to building a world class stadium and mixed use district for its fans, the Chicagoland community and the team. It said it is still working with local and state leaders in Indiana on its Hammond plans, where it is finalizing due diligence on two sites in the Wolf Lake area.

In the same statement, the Bears thanked Illinois leaders for recent engagement on legislation and said that process has let the team share its feedback. The team said it expects productive dialogue with both leadership teams in the coming weeks and that it has a responsibility to explore every option available to the club.

Why Illinois is back in the frame

The Bears bought land in Arlington Heights in February 2023, and that site has stayed at the center of the Illinois option. Last week, Crain's Chicago Business reported the team was close to a deal that would keep it in Illinois, with a possible vote in the legislature as early as November. Indiana already has a stadium authority law on its books, which is part of the pressure on Springfield to act.

No site has been chosen and no Illinois bill has passed. A deal still needs legislation to clear both chambers in Springfield, and the Bears statement was careful to praise Indiana in its opening lines, keeping the Hammond option open as talks continue.

What happens next

Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield for the fall veto session on November 17, and the session runs through December 3. That window is the next test. Governor Pritzker has pointed to November as the time to get something done to keep the Bears in Illinois, according to reports of his recent comments.

For fans in Chicago and Arlington Heights, the facts this week are narrow but real. The team's top two executives met Illinois leaders face to face, the commissioner joined them, and the team put its talks with both states in one written statement. Until a bill passes or the team signs a site deal, the stadium search stays open.