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Bears say Chicago stadium options 'exhausted'

ESPN · May 22, 2026, 1:32 AM

Key takeaways

  • CHICAGO -- The Bears reiterated Thursday they plan to leave Chicago as they continue to look at building a stadium in suburban Illinois or Hammond, Indiana.
  • "The Chicago Bears have exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago, which was our initial goal," the team said in a statement.
  • The Bears have played at Soldier Field for more than half a century.

Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.

CHICAGO -- The Bears reiterated Thursday they plan to leave Chicago as they continue to look at building a stadium in suburban Illinois or Hammond, Indiana.

"The Chicago Bears have exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago, which was our initial goal," the team said in a statement. "There is not a viable site in the city. As a result, the only sites under consideration are in Arlington Heights and Hammond."

The statement, which appears to again close the door on staying in Chicago, comes after team president Kevin Warren said last month at the NFL meetings in Arizona that the Bears were hoping to choose a new site for an enclosed stadium in Illinois or Indiana late this spring or early in the summer.

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