The Chicago Bears appear increasingly unlikely to build in Illinois unless the state can quickly address the team's concerns.

Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren declared Thursday, Aug. 13, that Hammond, Indiana is the franchise's "sole focus" for a new stadium and mixed-use development, naming two specific sites and confirming the McCaskey family has committed $2 billion in private money toward the project. Warren spoke at a press conference at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, according to Patch.

The announcement deepens a rift that Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove) flagged in June. After the Bears' board voted June 5 to advance the Hammond project, Curran issued a statement calling on Pritzker to bring Republicans into a bipartisan effort to keep the team in state. He said in that June 5 statement that failing to produce a serious proposal after three years "isn't good faith negotiation — it's dysfunction."

Curran urged Pritzker to "address the infighting in the Democratic legislative caucuses" and produce a plan that "protects taxpayers, grows our economy and keeps the Chicago Bears in Illinois for generations to come." No updated statement from Curran's office responding to the Aug. 13 press conference has been released.

Two Hammond sites, one $1 billion public package

Warren identified two Hammond properties under consideration: the Lost Marsh Golf Course, where due diligence is complete and the land has been confirmed viable for construction, and the Wolf Lake Terminal site, where environmental studies continue. He said the team may merge both into a single larger development.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has personally visited the Lost Marsh property, Warren said.

Indiana has authorized up to $1 billion in public funding through a combination of food-and-beverage, hotel and admissions taxes in Lake and Porter counties, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Warren said stadium development costs are rising by nearly $150 million per year, adding urgency.

Illinois contact called 'minimal'

Bears Chairman George McCaskey called discussions with Illinois lawmakers since the June 5 board vote "minimal." The Bears have no written proposal before the state, he said, and no deal in place.

Pritzker, speaking at the Illinois State Fair the same morning, confirmed the Bears have not presented bill language to his administration.

"We don't have any legislation in Illinois. We don't have a deal with Illinois," Warren told reporters. "Our focus, again, at this point in time, is in Hammond, Indiana."

Warren said the team's requirements for an Illinois project have never changed: property tax certainty and infrastructure certainty. Neither has materialized.

What it means for DuPage County fans

The Bears purchased the 326-acre Arlington Park property in Arlington Heights for $197.2 million in 2023, initially envisioning a stadium there. McCaskey said the argument for that site was "unsuccessful" in Springfield.

McCaskey acknowledged fan anxiety about crossing state lines but argued Hammond's proximity makes the adjustment manageable. The franchise will remain the "Chicago Bears" regardless of where the stadium lands, he said.

The Bears' current lease at Soldier Field runs through 2033. The Illinois General Assembly's fall veto session, scheduled Nov. 17–19 and Dec. 1–3, represents the next window for any Illinois stadium legislation.