The Chicago Bearsâ stadium saga just took another dramatic turn. This time, the message came straight from Indianaâs governor.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show during NFL Combine week, Indiana Governor Mike Braun did not hold back:
âYouâve got a look at how long the Bears were trying to talk to their own state and city,â Braun said. âThat goes back like three years and the Bears came to us because they thought there was no interest.â
He doubled down moments later:
âThey came to us. We didnât try to lure them,â Braun said. According to the governor, Illinois officials were âtelling them bluntly, âYouâve got to build your own stadium. Weâre not putting any taxpayer dollars into it.ââ
Braun suggested Indiana stepped up while Illinois stalled.
âThey gotta good look at what itâs like to do business in a place like Indiana,â he said. âIndiana is open for business.â
Bears Negotiated for Three Years Before Turning to Indiana
Braun painted Illinois as slow-moving and unresponsive while Indiana moved quickly once discussions began.
âIâm confident that weâve done everything you need to do to be in the place that we are at,â he said. âIt took Illinois so long to get to this point.â
On the same show, Braun emphasized speed and certainty as advantages. âWeâve been able to do all of this in basically a couple of months,â he said. âThatâs the speed of light in this business.â
Indiana lawmakers have now passed legislation outlining financial incentives and granting authority to build a new stadium near Wolf Lake in Hammond. Braun has signed the bill, calling it a framework for a âworld-class stadium.â
In contrast, Illinois lawmakers are still advancing proposals. This includes a bill that would lock in property taxes at the former Arlington International Racecourse site, which the Bears already own.
Braun: Bears Would Have Easier Future in Indiana
Braunâs sharpest line may have come when he framed the debate as long-term economic strategy.
âItâs going to be a lot easier to run a business in Indiana over the next 40 or 50 years than it would be there,â he said.
He even suggested Illinois is suffering from a case of âyou snooze, you lose.â
For the Bears, the leverage is clear. The team owns land in Arlington Heights, continues negotiating in Illinois, and now has a signed incentives bill waiting across the border.
Braun insists Indiana never overplayed its hand. âWe never got ahead of our skis,â he said.
Braunâs message on McAfeeâs show was clear. Indiana believes it moved quickly, offered certainty, and put a real plan on the table.
Whether thatâs enough to pull a marquee NFL franchise out of Illinois after more than a century remains to be seen.
But one thing is obvious. Braun wants it known that when it came to stadium talks, the Bears made the first move.
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