PALM BEACH, Fla. — More than two years after purchasing 326 acres in Arlington Heights, the Bears have still not decided whether to put their proposed new stadium there. Tuesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said there isn’t a deadline for them to decide between the suburbs and the Museum Campus.
“It’s an important issue for the community and the team,” Goodell said. “It’s not uncommon for it to be a two-year discussion. They started very early — their lease isn’t up [until after the 2033 season]. Those discussions, you expect are going to be thorough. There are going to be twists and turns through that process. And then you get to the process of having to actually build once you make those decisions ultimately. There’s a lot to do.”
Goodell’s wife Jane Skinner went to Lake Forest High School and is a Bears fan.
“I know how important the Bears are to that community,” he said. “I think everyone wants the right long-term solution, and I think that’s the types of discussions that are happening, and that will lead to that.”
Goodell spoke at the end of the annual meeting, which was highlighted by the decision to table discussions to ban the Eagles’ vaunted “Tush Push.”
Owners also made the kickoff rule implemented last year permanent, moving touchbacks up five yards to the 35, and changed regular-season overtime rules to match those during the postseason. Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology will measure first downs, though chain gangs will remain on the field as a backup plan.
