At midnight Tuesday, the clock will run out on the “soft deadline” the Chicago Bears gave the state of Illinois to pass tax-friendly legislation, essentially giving the go-ahead for the team to build in Arlington Heights.
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In January, NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell visited Arlington Heights and the northwestern region of Indiana with members of the Bears to scope potential building sites for the new stadium.
It appears Goodell is running out of patience for the Bears to start building a new stadium.
At the league’s annual meeting in Phoenix this week, Goodell told Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times that he wants the Bears to “come to a resolution fairly quickly” regardless of which state hosts the team.
“I asked Roger Goodell if he believed the Bears should play their home games in Indiana,” Finley posted on X. “He said the Bears need to come to a resolution fairly quickly, whether it’s in Indiana or Arlington Heights.”
I asked Roger Goodell if he believed the #Bears should play their home games in Indiana.
He said the Bears need to come to a resolution fairly quickly, whether it's in Indiana or Arlington Heights.— Patrick Finley (@patrickfinley) March 31, 2026
The Chicago Bears are waiting on Illinois
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On Monday, Bears CEO/president Kevin Warren told Pro Football Talk that Indiana is being a “great partner” at the moment. Warren hopes to have something from Illinois by the end of the summer.
“We have the legislation passed in Indiana, and they’ve been a great partner to work with,” Warren said. “We are going through legitimate due diligence because we have been working through traffic, and construction items, and transportation and all those kinds of different things. It’s progressing right on pace.
“Illinois, they’re still working on legislation and we have a wonderful piece of land in Arlington Heights — 326 acres. So we don’t have a set deadline, but I am confident that sometime this spring/summer, we’ll know.”
Frankly, it’s a little embarrassing that the NFL’s commissioner had to call out the Bears for being unable to reach a deal to this point. Chicago needs to start digging soon, whether in Arlington Heights or in Northwest Indiana.
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