Illinois politics have always been unreliable. Democrat or Republican, it doesn’t matter. The rot has always run deep, which is why the state government takes forever to make decisions on anything. That is why it was always baffling that the Chicago Bears thought they could cruise their way to a new stadium after purchasing the Arlington Heights property in 2021. The McCaskey family might be rich, but everybody knew they had almost zero presence in the political landscape, meaning they didn’t have any connections to help facilitate the process. This is probably one of the many reasons why the state of Indiana felt so confident it could eventually lure the organization south.
Illinois would drag its feet like always.
Sure enough, the government’s attempt to hammer out a last-second bill that would’ve given the Bears the property tax incentives they needed died in the House. Despite assurances from representatives that a solution is still within reach, most can see the writing on the wall. There is no way this gets resolved in 2026. This is probably why Indiana Governor Mike Braun sounded so confident that the Bears would eventually decide to move to Hammond in the next month. If that weren’t enough, the state is planning one final haymaker to knock Illinois out of the running for good. Russ McQuaid of Fox59 had the details.
An unexpected wrinkle that could become part of the Indiana offer was raised Tuesday in that Hoosiers could be asked for a potential sweetener to seal the deal while Illinois continues to stumble and play the blame game.
During a meeting of the Northwest Indiana Professional Sports Development Commission, Jay Wilkinson of Hoosier Investments told other commission members that Indiana might be asked to pony up some cash help to buy the Bears out of their Soldier Field lease.
That price tag could be upward of $90 million if the team leaves early to move its Sunday games to Hammond.
Soldier Field remains a persistent thorn in the Chicago Bears’ side.
The franchise paid off their portion of the bill after the renovations in 2003. The city is on the hook for the rest. However, reports indicate that Mayor Brandon Johnson and his faction are constantly trying to block any move by the Bears until they agree to pay off the remaining balance. That, of course, is a non-starter for the Bears. That said, the lease, which runs through 2033, isn’t something they can avoid. They will have to pay to get out of it early. Indiana handling that bill, and allowing the McCaskeys to pocket that $90 million, is a perfect final gesture to close the deal.
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At that point, nobody is dumb enough to say no. Indiana has laid the groundwork beautifully. They’ve provided all the legislation and incentives the Chicago Bears have wanted. The Hammond property is massive and ripe for development. Only one thing stands in the way. That is the McCaskeys’ hesitance to leave Illinois, which has been the team’s home for over a century. It is a legacy built by the great George Halas, a Chicago native. Justifying such a move can’t be easy. Yet Illinois has made it impossible to do otherwise.
Indiana knows they have Illinois on the ropes.
They’ve been very careful with their approach to this situation, trying not to spook the Bears. Like a veteran boxer, they have basically let Illinois punch themselves out. It’s the 12th round. This is the time to go for the knockout. They sense the moment. Offering to pay the Soldier Field exit fee is a masterful piece of political maneuvering on their part. They’re making it so that the Bears can’t say no. In all honesty, anyone with business sense would’ve said yes already.
Illinois should consider itself lucky that the McCaskeys have hung onto hope this long. Most other owners would’ve bolted years ago. Now, that doesn’t mean the state is totally to blame for this. They’ve been looking out for taxpayers, making sure any deal doesn’t leave them footing the bill. That is a good thing. However, the divided nature of the government has still made it so that everybody needs a slice of the pie. Once such infighting takes over, hopes for a resolution go out the window.
