The Chicago Bears are moving closer to a new stadium deal that could move the franchise out of Illinois. The team’s Board of Directors voted to advance a stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana on Thursday. But that does not mean that the Bears are destined to move out of state, at least not yet.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk believes that Chicago’s announcement about Hammond, Indiana is a leverage play. He also questioned whether or not it is a bluff.
“The real question isn’t whether Indiana is leverage (because it is) but whether Indiana is a bluff,” Florio wrote on Sunday. “In other words, are the Bears simply using a potential Hammond move as a way to get the best possible deal in Arlington Heights? (Also, did the Bears initially pivot to Arlington Heights to get the best possible deal in Chicago?)”
The Bears have been exploring option for a new stadium over the past several years. Those included a lakefront stadium on Lake Michigan in Chicago itself. There are also plans for a location in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and the development project in Hammond, Indiana.
But Florio is not the only figure who doubts the finality of Chicago’s latest stadium announcement. In fact, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin recently reported that a move to Hammond is not a done deal yet.
“While I’m being told that the Bears announcement on Hammond is ‘real,’ i.e. not a leverage play, a league source told me that the Bears leaving the state is not a done deal,” Cronin wrote on Friday. “Per source, Indiana is in the lead right now, but ‘Illinois can still get back in the race,’ granted the state has a lot of ground to make up after not passing legislation that would have insured the Bears property tax certainty.”
Hammond appears to be the frontrunner for now. However, the competition to land Chicago’s new stadium is still far from over.
The Chicago Bears are moving closer to a new stadium deal that could move the franchise out of Illinois. The team’s Board of Directors voted to advance a stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana on Thursday. But that does not mean that the Bears are destined to move out of state, at least not yet.