‘Not leaving, but expanding’ – NFL franchise deliver ‘pivotal’ stadium statement as fans react to $4.7bn relocation update

The Chicago Bears’ quest to host a Super Bowl has been handed a major boost.

This comes after Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren gave a detailed update on the organization’s stadium plans.

In a letter sent out to season ticket holders on Monday, ahead of their Week 1 opener against the Minnesota Vikings, Warren revealed plans for a new, fixed-roof stadium by 2031 i

There had been rumblings of a proposed move away from Soldier Field – the oldest stadium in the NFL – to Arlington Heights, one of the city’s surrounding suburbs, which had gained a huge amount of traction over the last month.

Now, Warren has doubled down on those relocation plans to “make the State of Illinois become the pinnacle of sports and entertainment destinations”, almost four years after the Bears had agreed to purchase a 326-acre Arlington International Racecourse property costing $197.2 million.

“We are at a pivotal juncture of the Chicago Bears franchise to build a new stadium, our future home in Arlington Heights, which will require zero state money for construction,” Warren wrote in an open letter.

“This is the year to finalize our stadium plans so we can officially bid to host a Super Bowl as soon as 2031. This is the moment to begin moving toward that future, and we want you with us…

“Just as we have strengthened our team on the field, we have also remained focused off the field on delivering a world-class home for the future.

“In evaluating options for a new stadium, the focus of the McCaskey family has been clear: build a world-class stadium that requires zero money from the State of Illinois for its construction…

“Arlington Heights is the only site within Cook County that meets that standard. It allows us to better serve our fan base and deliver a truly transformative and elevated gameday experience.

“Our new stadium, with a fixed-roof and the corresponding mixed-use development, will be worthy of the most passionate fan base in the NFL and capable of hosting marquee events year-round – from the Super Bowl to the Final Four to global soccer games to concerts to community events to youth sporting events.

“After purchasing 326 acres in Arlington Heights in 2023, we thoroughly evaluated other sites within Chicago’s city limits, but none were viable.

“Moving outside of the city of Chicago is not a decision we reached easily. This project does not represent us leaving, it represents us expanding…The project provides us the opportunity to build a stadium and mixed-use development that will benefit our fans, our region, and our future together.”

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Should the Bears pass the vote on the “mega project bill” in October, then there are plans to break ground on their new stadium plans in 2026.

This build is expected to cost north of $5 billion, though Warren notes in his open letter that the development will “create more than 56,000 construction jobs and 9,000 permanent jobs.”

This news comes as the stadium proposal also includes plans for restaurants, retail space and real estate, which Warren cites will generate “$256 million in annual statewide new business and tourism impact.”

Bears hoping stadium move brings new luck to franchise

The 62,500 capacity stadium makes Soldier Field, one of the most iconic but also the smallest stadium in the league. With its cold temperatures and lack of a roof, this has meant that the NFL has steered clear of handing them a Super Bowl to host.

But this domed-stadium proposal hasn’t gone down too well with the Bears contingent, or football fans in general for that matter, with some taking to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their concerns.

“Football wasn’t made to be played indoors ,” one user commented.

“This is sacrilege. Cold weather snow games are such a fundamental part of Chicago football…such a shame to throw that away to try and get a SB once every 30 years,” a second disgruntled fan commented.

A third fan echoed a similar sentiment saying: “Playing in tough weather outdoors is an important part of the Bears brand and I don’t think they should walk away from that just to host a Super Bowl every 10 years.”

“New stadium, new era, same QB questions. Let’s see if 2031 is the year…,” a fourth commented.

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With a new stadium almost fully in motion, Chicago will be hoping it also turns their fortunes around on the field.

In recent years, the Bears have been one of the NFL’s worst teams.

In 2024 alone, despite jumping out to a 4-2 record to start the regular season with No. 1 overall draft pick and ‘once-in-a-generation’ quarterback Caleb Williams under center, they finished the campaign with a lowly 5-12 record and seeing them miss out on the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

The 2025 season didn’t get off to a great start either, with the Bears – under first-year head coach Ben Johnson – hosting the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.

Despite holding a commanding 17-6 lead entering the fourth quarter, quarterback JJ McCarthy on his NFL debut rallied the Vikings to a stunning 27-24 comeback victory – on an ‘unsafe’ playing surface at that – and ultimately seeing Williams lose to another quarterback from his draft class.

Williams wound up finishing with 219 yards and a touchdown, having completed 21-of-35 pass attempts, with the sophomore also Chicago’s leading rusher with 58 yards from six carries.

Not exactly the way the Bears would want to start their 2025 campaign, especially on the 40th anniversary of the 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl championship team.

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