A pivotal vote nears for the Bears' next home. Will they stay in Illinois or explore other options? Decision looms.
Soldier Field has been around for quite some time.
It was first called Municipal Grant Stadium Park and opened in 1924. The name was changed to Soldier Field in 1925, in honor of U.S. soldiers who had died in combat.
The Chicago Bears didn't move into the venue until 1971. The Chicago Cardinals played their home games there until 1959. Before Soldier Field, the Bears played their home games at Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs.
The Bears were initially supposed to be there for three years, but then signed a 20-year lease in 1978.
There have been numerous renovations done to the venue since then. The stadium moved to natural grass in 1988 and was then renovated from 2000-2003.
The franchise has been looking for new sites for its next stadium.
There have been discussions about building a stadium in Northwest Indiana. Arlington Heights has also been in play. It would keep the Bears in Illinois, plus the team already purchased land in the area three years ago.
Chicago is going to meet with the NFL's stadium committee the week of April 27 to discuss the latest developments on the move.
The Bears have a strict timeline, but Bears expert David Kaplan believes the team will stay in Illinois, with Arlington Heights as the site for its next stadium.
"I am more convinced than ever that the Bears will be building their new stadium in Arlington Heights," Kaplan said. "I expect a vote in the next 10 days to approve the Mega Projects bill. And, it will be a bipartisan deal that gets it done. Hallelujah."
It would be hard for the Bears to say goodbye to what has been their home for roughly 50 years. Many great memories have been made at the venue, including the 2025 season.
We saw many fourth-quarter comebacks take place there.
In Week 6, the Bears hit a game-winning field goal to beat the Washington Commanders 25-24. Then, there were the fourth-quarter heroics from Caleb Williams in Week 10 to lift the Bears over the New York Giants.
Chicago fans really enjoyed two games in particular at Soldier Field last season.
The Bears beat the Green Bay Packers there in Week 16, and then took down their hated rival again in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Both times, the Packers had leads in the fourth quarter, and the Bears defied the odds to pull out a win.
Soldier Field holds a special place in the hearts of Bears fans everywhere. If what Kaplan says is true, the team will be sticking around in Illinois.
Will the Bears make that decision sooner rather than later?