With the 2026 NFL Draft approaching, for the Chicago Bears, it's more than deciding which players to pick. Ben Johnson and the Bears are trying to decide where to build their new stadium. The latest update about the arduous Chicago Bears stadium construction has sent fans spiraling. 

“The Chicago Bears will decide where to build their new stadium in the next few weeks, per league sources. If Illinois doesn’t pass legislation for Arlington Heights soon, sources believe the Bears are likely to be Indiana bound,” tweeted ESPN’s Adam Schefter on April 6.

According to Schefter's reports, Chicago could not move forward with two proposed sites. Their construction plan next to Soldier Field was struck off because of political reasons.

Other than that, the stadium has the smallest seating capacity of 61,500 across all NFL stadiums. Furthermore, its poor sightlines have gotten worse after the renovation. The open-air stadium cannot host major events like the Super Bowl either.

Later on, they rejected the Michael Reese site. The reason? Its narrow layout and active rail lines running through it do not make it a feasible option.

Hence, the Bears are aiming high and have narrowed down to two properties.

The 326-acre site they own in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and a 340-acre property in Hammond, Indiana, near Wolf Lake.

But the Bears’ proposal involving the Arlington Heights property is stalled due to a major property tax dispute. The franchise bought the property six years ago, and if the state of Illinois does not provide a solution, they might head to Indiana.

“If we can get this wrapped up by late spring, early summer, then we have to finish the design,” Bears CEO Kevin Warren said at this year’s annual NFL meeting. 

But fans are not prepared for the Indiana setting.

Fans share their thoughts on Chicago Bears stadium location

To a Bears fan, the Indiana location is not seen as ideal. “Illinois is about to fumble the Bears big time if they don't get this done. Soldier Field's been a dump for years, but losing them to Indiana would sting. What exactly are those political reasons blocking the Soldier Field spot?” he wrote. The Bears are waiting on a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) to be passed in the Illinois General Assembly that would freeze property taxes on the land where big projects are built.

Another fan claimed that they’ve been hearing this story for years and asked for better clarification. “This is the same story we’ve heard for five years. I’m not sure why this is so difficult. I hope someone from ESPN does a full-blown report on why this train wreck of a situation keeps getting delayed. But it’ll make Illinois leaders look really bad,” the comment read. Chicago aimed to break ground in 2024 and 2025—but those plans never got off the ground.

One comment rejected the move, stating that the Bears are a Chicago, Illinois team. “The 'Indiana Bears' just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Chitown better get its chit together.” As there is tax certainty in the state of Indiana, Chicago might opt for that option, but fans are likely to get unhappy.

Another fan urged the stakeholders to find a solution instead of losing out on its historic ties. “Don’t understand why they can’t just renovate Soldier Field, not even a Bears fan, but that stadium is iconic and historic,” one replied. Soldier Field has been Chicago's home since 1971.

Share your thoughts on whether the fans' request will be taken into consideration.

Read more at the Cleveland Browns Community.

Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar