The Bears are looking to leave the city of Chicago and build a new stadium in the suburbs, and now Illinois and Indiana are jockeying to see which side of the state line the Bears will go to.
Indiana has already passed legislation that would use significant taxpayer money to build the Bears a new stadium. The Illinois legislature is now considering a bill of its own that would freeze property tax assessments on the team’s proposed stadium in Arlington Heights, allowing the Bears to pay a lot less than they otherwise would have.
The Bears have already bought the Arlington Heights site, previously home of a horse racing track, but put plans to build a stadium there on hold when they found out how much they were likely to pay on property taxes there.
Whether the Illinois legislation passes may depend on whether enough concessions are put into place to get legislators representing Chicago on board. They want assurances that the Bears’ current location, Soldier Field, will get state support to remain a viable venue for other events, even as the Bears leave.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, who has long opposed spending tax dollars directly on building a stadium, has indicated that he supports the plan to give the Bears a property tax break and hopes the legislature will pass it.
The Bears expect to decide between Illinois and Indiana within the next few months.
Caleb Williams proved last season he has ice water in his veins, even if he isn’t the original Iceman.
The Bears quarterback led the team to an 11-6 record, the NFC North title and a playoff win in his second season, his first with Ben Johnson as his coach. Williams passed for 3,942 yards with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
He wants more.
“It was good for me to be able to see, to be able to feel, to go be able to go out there and win games, but that wasn’t my goal,” Williams said, via Chris Emma of The Score. “That’s not my goal. That’s not where I want to be. I want to be the best. I want to go win. I want to be a world champion, a Super Bowl champion. I want to be the best Bear quarterback, the best quarterback. So, my goals, that was a good stepping stone for me, but that wasn’t the last stepping stone. Being able to grow off of last year and be able to progress in ways that I want to. That last year wasn’t really anything. It was a good year, and we have many more good years coming up.”
The spotlight will be even brighter this season for the 2024 No. 1 overall pick, but as he has shown, he thrives under the pressure. Williams is ready to have the target on his back.
“I’ve always expected this because I wanted to be here,” Williams said. “This is where I wanted to be. I’ve wanted to be in this position. I’ve always said if winning games and championships comes with a little bit more light, then so be it. We’re going to keep chugging along. I have goals in mind and what I want to reach myself. It mainly deals with winning.”
The Bears are locking in one of their key offensive players for the 2027 season.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Chicago has picked up the fifth-year option on offensive tackle Darnell Wright.
The No. 10 overall pick of the 2023 draft, Wright is now set to make a projected $19.072 million guaranteed for 2027, the final year of his rookie contract.
The Bears may also negotiate a long-term deal with Wright.
A second-team All-Pro selection for the first time in 2025, Wright has started all 49 of his career games since Chicago made him a first-round pick out of Tennessee.
Former Bears and Eagles receiver Alshon Jeffery has denied allegations in California of insurance fraud.
Earlier this week, TMZ reported that Jeffery was arrested and charged with a felony that carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison. The Philadelphia Inquirer has more details, along with Jeffery’s denial.
The specific accusation is that Jeffery had been involved in an automobile accident on September 21, 2025. His insurance allegedly had lapsed. He thereafter purchased a new policy on September 24 and allegedly claimed the accident happened on September 28.
Denise White of EAG Sports Management told the Inquirer that the allegations are “unfounded.” She called the situation “a misunderstanding and nothing more.”
If it’s a misunderstanding, Jeffery’s top priority should be to get the prosecutors to understand. Instead, he reportedly failed to appear in court March 9. That led to the warrant for his arrest. He was freed on $25,000 bond. He’s scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday, April 23.
The case should be very simple to clarify. When did the accident happen? When was the insurance policy purchased? Did Jeffery have insurance in place when the accident happened?
A second-round pick in 2012, Jeffery spent five years with the Bears and four with the Eagles. He was a member of the Super Bowl LII-winning team in Philly.
The NFL has announced the names of the current and former players that will take part in next week’s draft by announcing second-round picks.
The list includes players associated with all 32 teams, including Cardinals running back James Conner. Conner has strong ties to the Pittsburgh area after playing for the Steelers and attending Pitt, which likely made him an easy choice as the Cardinals’ representative.
Former Bears tackle Jimbo Covert, former Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett, former Chiefs defensive lineman Bill Maas, current Vikings tackle Brian O’Neill, former Jets running back Curtis Martin, and former 49ers punter Andy Lee are other Pitt alums who are set to take part.
The hometown team will be represented by four players. Former Steelers Jerome Bettis and John Stallworth will be joined by Joey Porter Sr. and Jr. next Friday.
The other players taking part and their team affiliations appear below:
Falcons: Michael Turner
Ravens: Mark Ingram
Bills: Shane Conlan
Panthers: Jake Delhomme
Bengals: Ken Anderson
Browns: Phil Dawson
Cowboys: Drew Pearson
Broncos: T.J. Ward
Lions: Calvin Johnson
Packers: John Kuhn
Texans: Billy Miller
Colts: Pat McAfee
Jaguars: Paul Posluszny
Raiders: Matt Millen
Chargers: Shawne Merriman
Rams: Tavon Austin
Dolphins: Dwight Stephenson
Patriots: Deion Branch
Saints: Marques Colston
Giants: Osi Umenyiora
Eagles: Brian Westbrook
Seahawks: Cliff Avril
Buccaneers: Ronde Barber
Titans: Jeffery Simmons
Commanders: Mark Rypien
