Gov. JB Pritzker is trying to downplay any concerns about landing a Chicago Bears stadium in Illinois because of delayed action by state lawmakers.
Tuesday, March 3, 2026 11:08PMGov. JB Pritzker is trying to downplay any concerns about landing a Chicago Bears stadium in Illinois because of delayed action by state lawmakers. His comments on Tuesday also suggested a possible disconnect with Mayor Brandon Johnson about any chance of keeping the team in Chicago.
Lawmakers don't return to Springfield for more than two weeks. That means there can be no action until later this month on a bill that would pave the way for state funding for needed infrastructure improvements around the Arlington Heights property where the Bears are considering building a stadium. "Obviously, as fast as we can get this done through the legislature, and that's going to be up to the legislators to do it that, you know, we want to get it done for the Bears," Pritzker said. The Bears are looking to move on from Soldier Field, either to a domed stadium that they would build as part of a larger development project in Arlington Heights or to a taxpayer-financed stadium near Wolf Lake, in Hammond, Indiana. The property in Arlington Heights would require state-funded infrastructure improvements around the stadium, something lawmakers in Springfield are still debating. "I think the most important thing for us, and I think we've been very clear with the Bears organization, it's not just about getting this done, but getting it right," said state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago. Mayor Johnson is still holding on to the seemingly unlikely chance that the Bears could stay in the city, suggesting if Chicago had been offered similar infrastructure help as is being debated for Arlington Heights, it might have changed the conversation. "The Bears have already shown a willingness to work with my administration to keep the Bears in the city of Chicago despite whatever other false information is promulgated," Johnson said."Indeed, if there were a place in the city of Chicago that the Bears said this is where we want to put a stadium, we would be talking about infrastructure for that. That is not what they've said. They literally have said, they've looked at every site that is available," Pritzker said."I think what's important for us is to make sure that whatever happens here is something that we are not regretting as a delegation, and that the right things are done. I also want to say, Craig, that this is not a hostage negotiation. This is a conversation about economic development," Buckner said. A group named Hoosiers for Responsible Taxation has launched a website with a video opposing a taxpayer-funded stadium for the Bears.to approve a stadium authority to pursue the possibility of luring the Bears to Hammond. Buckner remains confident Illinois will get a deal done to keep the Bears somewhere on this side of the border. "We need to get to a point where everybody is on the same page, and everybody has gotten at least some piece of what they need in this conversation. And so I think the governor is right. The mayor is right. I think that we got to continue to figure out how to move forward," Buckner said. The Bears did not immediately respond to a request for comment on where negotiations are from their standpoint.Copyright © 2026 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
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