The Chicago Bears have expanded their stadium search to not only include its 326-acre property in Arlington Heights, but also potentially outside the state of Illinois.

Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren acknowledged that Northwest Indiana would be in consideration with other parts of the wider Chicagoland region in a statement obtained by ESPN's Courtney Cronin on Wednesday (December 17).

"In addition to Arlington Park, we need to expand our search and critically evaluate opportunities throughout the wider Chicagoland region, including Northwest Indiana," Warren said. "This is not about leverage. We spent years trying to build a new home in Cook County. We invested significant time and resources evaluating multiple sites and rationally decided on Arlington Heights.

"Our fans deserve a world-class stadium. Our players and coaches deserve a venue that matches the championship standard they strive for every day. With that in mind, our organization must keep every credible pathway open to deliver that future."

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker pushed back at the idea of the Bears moving to a location beyond state lines.

"Suggesting the Bears would move to Indiana is a startling slap in the face to all the beloved and loyal fans who have been rallying around the team during this strong season," Pritzker spokesperson Matt Hill said in a statement obtained by ESPN. "The Governor's a Bears fan who has always wanted them to stay in Chicago. He has also said that ultimately they are a private business."

The Bears purchased the Arlington Park property, which was previously used for the Arlington International Racecourse, located 32.8 miles from their current home, Soldier Field, in downtown Chicago, for $197 million in 2023, just prior to Warren replacing Ted Phillips as team president and CEO. The franchise proposed plans to build a 60,000-set, fixed-roof stadium within a $5 billion mixed-use development, but explored more options shortly after closing on the land after announcing that plans to build at the site were "at risk" as property tax negotiations halted.

The Bears then publicly announced their focus to build a new stadium on the lakefront south of Soldier Field in 2024, which would include an investment of more than $2 billion in private money for construction and development and surrounding areas, but once again hit an impasse due to concerns over the burden placed on taxpayers despite maintaining that the project would be privately funded.

The Bears announced that Arlington Heights would once again be an option for future stadium plans in April and shared a letter to fans claiming sights were set on the location prior to the team's season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on September 8, with Warren claiming the franchise intended to break ground before the end of 2025 at the time.

"We have not asked for state taxpayer dollars to build the stadium at Arlington Park," Warren said via ESPN. "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. Additionally, we sought reasonable property tax certainty to secure financing. We listened to state leadership and relied on their direction and guidance, yet our efforts have been met with no legislative partnership."

The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon