Roger Goodell
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The Chicago Bears have a stadium decision to make, and even Roger Goodell of the NFL is weighing in on the importance.
Ben Johnson has helped to bring new life into the Chicago Bears, and he’s only been with the franchise for a year and some change, so imagine what he’ll do in the 2026-27 season. Now, that energy is also being channeled into a new stadium for the Bears.
So, the stadium is the heart of a franchise. It’s where fans go to cheer for their team, and it also becomes a beacon for the community, providing a place for non-NFL events, from concerts to other shows. So, yes, a football stadium means a lot to any given franchise.
During the NFL owners meetings this week, Bears chairman George H. McCaskey and president and CEO Kevin Warren offered a stadium update.
Chicago Bears Stadium Decision Gets a Timeline
Talking to reporters at the Arizona Biltmore, Warren said that the powers at be will decide whether to build its new fixed-roof stadium at one of two sites in Arlington Heights, Illinois, or Hammond, Indiana, by late spring or early summer, so the decision is coming soon.
“We have been working on our stadium and feel very strongly that we are making progress,” Warren said, according to the Bears’ official website. “We are in an excellent position. The target is to make sure that we have a decision made by… late spring, early summer.”
According to research from the franchise, the Chicago Bears own 326 acres of land on the site of the old Arlington International Racecourse. The team is looking for tax certainty from the Illinois General Assembly, which will be in session through May 31. The team, according to the franchise, has also tax certainty to build a stadium on a 340-acre site in Hammond.
“We have been in great discussions with the state of Indiana in regard to the site in Hammond and we did have legislation pass recently,” Warren told reporters this week. “We feel like we are making progress.” He added, “We have a list of items that we are working on from a due diligence standpoint. Indiana has been excellent to work with during our stadium project.”
He continued, “One good thing about it, both of the sites are excellent sites and we are focused on making sure that we build a world-class stadium that can create a wonderful fan experience because our fans are so important to us. They deserve a world-class stadium.”
Roger Goodell Pressures Chicago Bears to Get Their Stadium Decision Made
When asked about the Bears’ stadium situation during a press conference at the owners meetings, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell put a little pressure on the franchise. He said, “It’s really important that they come to a resolution on this relatively soon… This is an important time to get this resolved.”
Johnson, of course, has to love the new stadium. Following the team’s final game of the season in January, he told reporters, “It’s a special group. I said that a few weeks ago.”
He added, “I believe that to my core, that when you’re with a group of men for the last time in the locker room and you know it’s just not going to be the same going forward that, I appreciate all of them, the men and the women, coaches, players, support staff, everybody that had a role this season.”