According to team leadership, the move to expand the search reflects a desire to “evaluate all options that ensure long-term stability, fan experience, and economic sustainability.”

Multiple New Locations Now Under Review

While the Bears have not announced specific sites, sources indicate the expanded search includes several suburbs capable of accommodating a stadium complex with modern requirements such as:

Large-scale land availability
Access to major transportation corridors
Zoning flexibility
Potential for mixed-use development
Municipal willingness to explore partnership structures

Possible candidates include areas in the northwest, west, and southwest suburbs — though the team is expected to keep negotiations confidential until formal proposals progress.

What This Means for the Arlington Park Property

The Bears still own the 326-acre Arlington Park land and have not ruled it out. But the tone has changed: Arlington Heights is no longer the presumed destination.

Instead, it becomes one of several options — and must now compete with rival proposals rather than standing as the lone site under consideration.

In effect, the Bears have shifted from a single-path strategy to a competitive bidding model.

City of Chicago Back in the Conversation

Expanding the search also reopens dialogue with the City of Chicago, which has publicly expressed its desire to keep the team within city limits. Recent conceptual plans floated by the city, including potential redevelopment of the Soldier Field campus or nearby lakefront expansion, may now receive more serious attention from the Bears.

Mayor Brandon Johnson called the team’s decision an “opportunity for renewed collaboration” but acknowledged the Bears will pursue whichever location offers the strongest long-term partnership.

NFL Expectations: The Bears Need a Modern Home

The Bears remain one of the league’s flagship franchises, yet they currently play in one of the NFL’s smallest and oldest stadiums. League officials, including commissioner Roger Goodell, have repeatedly underscored the need for Chicago to establish a modern, multi-use facility capable of hosting:

Super Bowls
Final Fours
Major concerts and events
Year-round economic activity

By broadening their search, the Bears signal alignment with that expectation — and commitment to finding a venue that meets national standards, not just local ones.

Development Partners Encouraged by the New Approach

Developers and investment groups across the region are expected to respond quickly, viewing the Bears’ stadium as a generational project with massive economic potential. Community leaders in several suburbs have already expressed interest in joining the conversation, and competition for the project may become intense.

A larger field of bidders could allow the Bears to negotiate more favorable terms related to land use, infrastructure commitments, tax structures, and development incentives.

Fans React With a Mix of Optimism and Frustration

Bears fans have grown accustomed to uncertainty around stadium planning, and the expansion of the search has produced varied reactions:

Some welcome the fresh possibilities and hope for better location options.
Others are frustrated by the continued delays and lack of clarity.
Many simply want the team to finalize a plan so construction can begin.

Still, most fans agree on one thing: the franchise needs a new stadium worthy of its history and future.