Overview
- Brian Urlacher told reporters that he prefers the Bears stay at Soldier Field and strongly opposes the team playing in a dome, saying a covered stadium would erase the home‑field edge gained from Chicago winter conditions.
- Reporting indicates the Bears have moved planning toward Hammond, Indiana, where lawmakers passed enabling legislation and proposed roughly $1 billion in incentives that have outpaced stalled Illinois proposals.
- Sources say the new venue will likely be covered, but major steps remain unfinished including final site selection, environmental and traffic studies, remediation and infrastructure cost estimates, and formal NFL approval for any cross‑state move.
- Urlacher and others point to a clear financial motive because the Bears do not own Soldier Field and benefit less from game‑day revenue there, which helps explain why Indiana's offer makes economic sense for ownership.
- If the move proceeds it could shift tax revenue, jobs and fan access between Illinois and Indiana, alter the team's on‑field identity tied to cold‑weather home games, and remain a public and locker‑room distraction into the 2026 season.