Bears say they have 'exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago,' paving way for move to suburbs or Indiana

The Chicago Bears are very likely going to be playing their home games outside the city in the near future. Amid the team’s search for a new stadium site, it released a statement Thursday reiterating that the city of Chicago was no longer in consideration. Instead, the team is focused on either Arlington Heights — a Chicago suburb — or Hammond, Indiana, per the statement.

"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 Bears have signaled for years that Chicago was an unlikely option for the team’s new stadium. After the team purchased Arlington International Racecourse in 2021, it became clear that the Bears were looking to leave the city in favor of the Chicago suburbs. While the Bears made at least one proposal to the city, which included a domed stadium on Chicago’s lakefront, the team seemingly ruled out that idea with its statement Thursday.

That clashed with recent comments made by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who said the Bears met with the city’s corporation counsel to discuss the lakefront stadium in recent weeks. As the Bears were attempting to figure out a move to Arlington Heights, another suitor emerged for their services. In December, team president Kevin Warren floated the idea of the team moving to Indiana in a letter to season-ticket holders.