By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – The Illinois state rep whose district includes Soldier Field says the Chicago Bears are bluffing by suggesting a move to Northwest Indiana, but Indiana Gov. Mike Braun says the Bears recognize his state’s pro-business climate.

Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren announced in an open letter Dec. 17 that the National Football League team had expanded its search for a new stadium site to include Northwest Indiana.

The Bears currently play near the Lake Michigan shoreline at Soldier Field, in the district represented by state Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago.

“I think the Bears are bluffing. I think that this is once again a point of leverage for them, but I could see this ending pretty badly,” Buckner told The Center Square.

In a social media post, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun said the Bears would deliver a major economic boost to the Hoosier State.

“The Chicago Bears recognize Indiana’s pro-business climate, and I am ready to work with them to build a new stadium in Northwest Indiana,” Braun posted.

Warren said in his letter that the team has worked in good faith with Illinois leaders, but their efforts were met with “no legislative partnership.”

Warren said the Bears have not asked for state taxpayer dollars to build a new stadium on land the team owns at Arlington Park in northwest suburban Arlington Heights.

“We asked only for a commitment to essential local infrastructure (roads, utilities, and site improvements) which is more than typical for projects of this size,” Warren said, adding that the team also sought “reasonable property tax certainty to secure financing.”

Buckner said he had suspected for months the Bears would play the Indiana card.

The Chicago Democrat said he appreciated Warren calling him to let him know before the news broke, but he said the Bears’ leveraging and modulating could come with unintended consequences.

“They’ve been all over the place. They’ve flip-flopped a few times. I expect them to flip-flop on this again, but some of this damage is irreparable. I hope they’re considering that as they work through this,” Buckner said.

According to Buckner, the Bears are “kind of throwing a tantrum” because stadium financing is not a budget priority in Springfield.

“It’s almost like they had a plan to rob the bank, and they had no strategy around the fact that the bank has a security guard in it, it has a lock on the safe, and it has a panic button. They didn’t plan for that. They thought, because they’ve always been able to walk in the bank and take out money, it would always be the same,” Buckner said.

Buckner said he helped craft the state budget and expected to spend time on the state’s next spending plan as the next legislative session approaches.

The Illinois House is next scheduled to meet Jan. 20, 2026.