The legacy of the Chicago Bears ownership has been remarkably simple compared to other organizations in NFL history. It started with the great George Halas in 1920 and went all the way through 1983. Then his daughter, Virginia McCaskey, inherited the franchise and held control through February of 2025. Two owners in 105 years is remarkable continuity. Now that burden falls to George McCaskey, Virginia’s son. He has vowed to maintain stewardship of the organization moving forward.
McCaskey isn’t naive. He’s heard all the rumors about selling the Bears. Several of the younger generation who own shares in the team have quietly expressed that desire. McCaskey has remained adamant that it won’t happen. Not on his watch.
“We’ve said for many years that we intend to own the Bears for as long as possible. Another 100 years would be great. She set it up for us to accomplish that. She gave us the playbook. She coached us up. Now we’ve gotta execute the plan, and we’re prepared to do that. We’ve got to stick together.”
While his determination to keep the team in the family is admirable, there is one saying that always prevails in the business world: everybody has a price. Based on recent NFL news, that dollar amount might be reaching a point that McCaskey can’t ignore. The Seattle Seahawks were just sold to investor Vinod Khosla for a record $9.6 billion. That shatters the old record of $6.05 billion for the Washington Commanders in 2023.
George McCaskey is now seeing numbers he can’t ignore.
Prior to the sale, the Seahawks were valued at $6.9 billion. This was partly aided by their recently winning the Super Bowl last season. The Bears, meanwhile, are said to be valued at $8.2 billion. Keep in mind, this is before they construct their new stadium. Presuming that happens within the next couple of years, this would increase their value considerably. As things stand, the Seahawks went for 39.13% more than their valuation. If that were to happen with the Bears, they would go for $11.41 billion. That is without the new stadium, mind you.
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For all the talk from George McCaskey about guiding his grandfather’s franchise forward, few people on the planet can just ignore $11 billion. Such a sum would set his family up for generations, allowing them to pursue ventures outside of football. McCaskey is 70 years old. He is no spring chicken. Has he prepared a succession plan? It is impossible to believe this Seahawks news isn’t causing a stir inside Halas Hall, especially among the younger generations. If they were interested in selling before, those calls will only get louder now.
The Bears have always known they aren’t made to own a team.
It takes a certain type of person to do it. They must have a delicate balance of football savvy and business acumen. McCaskey has admitted he certainly doesn’t have the former. He’s said on more than one occasion that he is a fan at heart. He isn’t as knowledgeable about the game as other owners. As for business acumen, his hiring of Kevin Warren as team president raises questions about that as well. The only thing McCaskey has going for him is the good fortune to have landed Ben Johnson as the head coach. His arrival should make the Bears a legitimate playoff contender for the foreseeable future.
It can’t just be about keeping the franchise in the family. Winning championships is the goal. That is something the McCaskeys haven’t done. Everybody knows the 1985 team was the last to have Halas’ fingerprints on it. His successors have seen nothing but failure in the past 40 years. Sometimes, an ownership change is what an organization needs to finally find success. If ever there was a time when selling was justifiable, it’s now. The market is booming. McCaskey would rake in more cash than he’s ever dreamed, and could retire to whatever life he wants.
