The team had been deciding between building a new stadium in Hammond or on property they own in Arlington Heights.

“Yesterday, the Chicago Bears Board of Directors met and voted to advance our stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with the exact site to be selected,” Bears chairman and owner George McCaskey and president and CEO Kevin Warren said in a statement. “We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana to the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city. It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses.”

However, two Illinois lawmakers confirmed to Capitol News Illinois that any talk of the Bears leaving the state is premature.

“I got a call from Kevin Warren this morning, and he told me they were going to release a statement about moving forward with Hammond,” Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago told Capitol News Illinois. “He also said he looks forward to continuing discussions with me.”

Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, the lead House negotiator, said Warren also called him, according to Capitol News Illinois.

The announcement is the latest turn in what’s been a five-year search for a new stadium.

It comes less than a week after the Illinois legislature failed to pass legislation that would help the Chicago Bears build a new stadium in Arlington Heights. The Illinois House and Senate each introduced bills to help the Bears build, but neither passed the other chamber. Legislators also announced that they would not meet for a special session during the summer.

Warren originally opened the possibility of moving to Indiana when he sent out an open letter in December stating that the team’s stadium search would include Northwest Indiana. Indiana’s legislature acted quickly, passing a bill at the end of February.

Indiana created a stadium authority where the Bears would put in $2 billion toward building a new stadium, and it would own the stadium, allowing the Bears to not pay property taxes.

Indiana’s offer also included $1 billion in revenue toward building a stadium. It also would pay for infrastructure improvements around the stadium district.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun applauded the news in a post on X on Friday shortly after the news.

“Hoosiers, help me welcome the Chicago Bears to our great state,” Braun wrote. “We look forward to building a partnership as strong as the ’85 Bears defense, creating opportunities and economic growth that will benefit our state and the Bears organization for decades to come. An NFL franchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economic boost to the entire region like we haven’t seen before.“

There’s been a higher sense of urgency to make a decision over the past half year.

Bears brass and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell initially said at the NFL’s annual meetings during the spring that they’d like to have a decision during the late spring or early summer between the two spots. They reiterated that point and that they’re only considering two locations recently, when Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson made an effort to keep the team on the city’s lakefront.

The Bears have played in Chicago since 1921, when they first played at Wrigley Field after moving from Decatur, Illinois. The team has played at Soldier Field since 1971, with a one-year stay in Champaign in 2003 during stadium renovations. It has a lease at Soldier Field that lasts until 2033, which can be broken earlier by paying a termination payment.

“The Bears have built a storied legacy in Illinois for over 100 years, but have spent the last six years, and especially the last few months, shifting their position on a stadium location,“ Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office said in a statement. “That has hindered their progress. Today appears to be another instance of that after Illinois leaders have been working with the Bears in good faith. Governor Pritzker has always been clear that he wants the Bears to stay in Illinois and still remains open to a sensible solution that protects taxpayers.”

State Rep. Steve Reick, R-Woodstock, said he thinks the Bears’ statement gave the team some wiggle room, and he’s taking a wait-and-see approach because he’s not convinced this is the last word on the Bears’ future.

“I don’t trust the Bears,” Reick said, adding he didn’t trust the General Assembly to get its act together either.

GOP candidate for governor, Darren Bailey, released a statement blasting Pritzker for the Bears’ decision.

“After 100 years, the Chicago Bears won’t be in Illinois – and it’s all because JB Pritzker and his disastrous agenda forced the heart and soul of Chicagoland to abandon its identity, its fans, and its state for more competitive waters," Bailey said. “For years, Pritzker and the Democrats bled Illinois residents dry with higher costs and even higher taxes, but bankrupted our state with corrupt pet projects. Now, Pritzker has nothing left to offer residents or one of the biggest drivers of tourism in our state, losing in 8 years what Illinois spent the past 100 years trying to keep. It’s a sad day in Illinois, and we only have JB Pritzker to blame.”

Friday was the latest shift of focus the Bears have made during their search. Their five-year search has had plenty since it started in 2021, when the team agreed to purchase the Arlington Heights property on the site of the former Arlington Park racecourse. There have been twists and turns throughout the process, including pivots back to Chicago before going back to Arlington Heights and now Northwest Indiana.

State Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, said the decision represents a major failure of state leadership.

“The Bears have repeatedly indicated they are willing to pay a reasonable property tax bill - one that would likely still be the highest stadium property tax bill in America,” Ugaste said. “What no business can justify is paying a property tax bill that is several times higher than any comparable facility in the nation. The fact that Illinois could not address this obvious competitive disadvantage is a colossal failure of the governor and the legislative majority.”

Now the Bears fans will wait to see whether their team will officially make the move in the coming months or change directions once again.

Yes, Odunze was sad to clean out his locker a day after the Chicago Bears lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoff. But Odunze was more frustrated with the season he had, or didn’t have.

A broken foot limited Odunze from performing at his best for much of the year. It was a deflating end to what he had hoped would be a breakout season during his second year in the NFL.

“It was tough, it was tough,” Odunze said Wednesday at Halas during the team’s Organized Team Activities. “Obviously, I was gearing up for a great season. I felt like I was on track to have that. And injuries are part of the game. Unfortunately, I feel like it affected me more than injuries have in the past. That wasn’t obviously the goal. I have my goals for this season, and the injury kind of prohibited some of those things. But it’s part of the game. You go through that adversity, and you’re better for it.”

The injury limited Odunze to 12 games plus two more in the postseason.

Odunze led the team in receptions and was quarterback Caleb Williams’ go-to target before he missed the latter portion of the season. He ended the year with 661 receiving yards and six touchdowns, surpassing 100 yards in a game twice. Even with the missed time, Odunze led the Bears with 90 targets.

For much of the season, Odunze felt like the injury or the rehab for it prevented him from playing up to his potential. He didn’t have surgery to repair the foot during the offseason since doctors said it could heal without a procedure.

But it’ll be a “new normal” that Odunze will have to deal with from now on. Odunze said the callouses developed when he broke his foot, which created a new structure, which will force him to adjust.

“I feel like if you break a bone, you’ve always got to make sure you’re on top of it,” Odunze said. “I continue to do rehab on it, making sure I’m keeping it strong. And that’s both feet, whether it comes to different exercises that they give me in the rehab, as well as what I do off the field. But I feel like yeah, you‘ve got to stay on top of it regardless of it’s 100 or not. I feel like it’s hard to say it’s like 100, I feel like when we’re in the Super Bowl and win that I feel like it will be 100.”

Bears head coach Ben Johnson was impressed with how Odunze fought through the injury last season.

The Bears had hoped Odunze would take a major step in Johnson’s offense as Williams did. Odunze showed that potential at times last year, early in the season before things derailed. Even with the setbacks, Odunze continued to fight to stay on the field or worked to get back in time for the playoffs.

“He’s a team player,” Johnson said. “He’s going to lay it out on the line every time he gets on the grass, and so I think his teammates appreciate that. His coaching staff certainly appreciates that, and hopefully we can get him 17-plus games this year and his career will really take off for that.”

In order for that to happen, Odunze will have to improve different parts of his game.

Even when Odunze was healthy or battled injuries, drops were a consistent problem throughout the season. Odunze struggled at times to make 50/50 balls or other catches that a former top-10 draft pick should make.

It’s something the Bears have worked through with Odunze over the offseason. Wide receivers and assistant head coach Antwaan Randle El said the staff showed Odunze film from college and in the NFL, where Odunze proved that he can make plays on tough catches.

Odunze dedicated the offseason to working on different points of the receiving process to set himself up to make those elite catches. With another year in Johnson’s offense and Odunze’s work ethic, Randle-El felt comfortable that Odunze would take a major step this season.

“It’s just about showing him, and that’s what we’ve done, and we fully expect him to go out and make those plays,” Randle El said. “And he does for himself, too. He’s been critical of those plays that he didn’t make, so he’ll, again, I go back to the idea of seeing it, realizing it, and now let’s go out and attack it and be better in that area.”

Odunze should have more of an opportunity to do it, if that wasn’t the case already.

The Bears reshuffled the wide receiver room over the offseason when they traded DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills. Bears general manager Ryan Poles brought in veteran Kalif Raymond in free agency and then drafted Zavion Thomas in the third round.

Odunze will have to fight for Moore’s targets. Wide receiver Luther Burden III and tight end Colston Loveland are both expected to have more success in their second year.

But Odunze wasn’t worried about the target percentages.

“I just want to be the best receiver possible for this team,” Odunze said. “I feel like I provide many assets to do that. And I’m comfortable with a lot of the target share, as well as the other guys getting involved, so we can be the best offense possible.”

To be the best receiver, Odunze is aware that he can’t do some things at an elite level but not others. He called it the “art” of being a wide receiver.

An elite wide receiver can’t be a good route-runner who can’t catch the ball. Or vice versa. For Odunze to fully reach his potential, he’ll need to do a plethora of things at an elite level.

He’s working to overcome the frustrations of last season.

“I’m trying to be excellent in every single category of wide receiver,” Odunze said. “Route running, releases, catching the football. There’s areas of improvement in every single rep out there that it’s hard to pinpoint one thing. I want to do everything excellent. So, I’m trying to improve on all those different packages all at once, because I feel like I’m capable of doing that.”

Wednesday was the second time reporters had a chance to watch the Bears take part in OTAs as the team progressed through its offseason workouts. Players took part in positional and team drills without live tackling as they continue to build a new foundation this offseason.

The Bears will wrap up the week with OTA practices before starting a three-day mandatory minicamp on Tuesday. Here are three of the most interesting things the Bears said Wednesday.

For a second straight OTA practice open to reporters, the Bears had near-perfect attendance for the voluntary portion of the offseason. They even returned some players from injury.

Defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo and linebacker T.J. Edwards were seen at practice for the first time this offseason. They each took part in some drills at the beginning of practice, but didn’t do team drills.

Odeyingbo is working his way back from a torn Achilles tendon that he suffered midway through last year. Edwards appeared in his first practice after he suffered a fractured fibula in the NFC Wild Card game in January.

The Bears were also without a couple of their starting defensive starters. Defensive end Montez Sweat didn’t appear in his second practice open to reporters, although that doesn’t mean he hasn’t attended practices.

Slot cornerback Kyler Gordon didn’t practice Wednesday after he was limited at last week’s open OTAs. It’s not been an optimal way for Gordon to transition back after appearing in five games last season, including the playoffs.

“This spring was going to be a springboard for us to get going in the right direction,” Johnson said. “So we’re still working through that. We’re still trying to get that availability piece going. We know he’s a good player when he’s out there, but trust level is a huge thing for this team, for this coaching staff, for the locker room, and you can only develop that trust by being available.”

Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze also provided some insight into his foot injury that limited him to 14 games, including the playoffs. Although Odunze didn’t make excuses, he said the injury and rehabbing it affected the way he played last season.

Odunze feels good and hasn’t missed practice this offseason. But the foot is something Odunze will have to stay on top of with rehab and training for the foreseeable future.

“This is my new normal,” Odunze said. “And it’s not from a standpoint that I’m always in pain, but the way my foot broke, there are calluses in there that create a different type of foot structure with those bones, different types of things that kind of shift things around. So my new normal was kind of what I am going into. And I don’t think that’s anything that’s going to prohibit me from making plays, but I feel like with the break it’s just like when you tear your [acromioclavicular joint], it’s never really back to normal.”

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams made history Wednesday morning when the “Madden” video game franchise announced that he would be on the cover of its game for the upcoming season. Williams became the first Bears player to appear on the cover; former offensive lineman Roberto Garza appeared on the cover of the Spanish version of the game.

The news earned different reactions at Halas Hall.

“No reaction,” Johnson said when he was asked about the announcement.

But Williams’ teammates, especially those who grew up playing the game, understood what the honor of appearing on the cover meant.

“Yeah, that’s tough,” Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson said. “It’s tough. It’s tough. I told him he has to sign mine. Definitely proud of him for that. I’m honored to be on a team with someone who is on the Madden cover.”

One of the covers shows Williams doing a “Jumpman” logo, similar to former Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. Williams made his version of the pose famous when he completed a pass to Odunze during the team’s NFC Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers.

Odunze didn’t take credit for being on the cover since the pass was intended for him. But he was proud of the accomplishment for Williams.

“I loved it. I loved it,” Odunze said. “He had a spectacular season, and the cover was dope, his kind of little MJ tribute. I know the Chicagoans are happy to see that one. It was kind of a throwback. It was pretty cool.”

Johnson confirmed Wednesday that the Bears would travel to Cincinnati for a joint practice against the Bengals on Aug. 20.

It will be the second time the two teams practice against each other in three years. They also squared off against each other during the regular season last year, where Williams led a game-winning drive in the final minute.

Johnson left open the chance that the Bears could hold another joint practice. The team last held two joint practices against the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills, both at Halas Hall.

“Yeah, we’re still working through training camp scheduling right now,” Johnson said. “But I know [Bengals head coach] Zac [Taylor] came out and said we’ll go against Cincinnati. We’re committed to that. I’m going to talk to him in the near future. Hopefully, we can nail down some details. But there’s potentially more than just one this year.”

Those could take place against either of the Bears’ remaining preseason opponents.

The NFL also announced the preseason schedule Wednesday. The Bears will host the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field at noon on Aug. 15. They’ll play at the Bengals at 6 p.m. on Aug. 22 and at the Tennessee Titans at 5 p.m. on Aug. 29.

Williams will become the first Bears player to ever appear on the “Madden” cover since the game was first released in 1988. He’s set to appear in his “Jumpman” pose that he made popular during a throw against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card game last season. Another version will have him doing his “Iceman” pose that he also used throughout the playoffs.

The recognition comes after Williams, a former No. 1 overall pick, put together one of the best quarterback seasons in Bears history. He broke the team’s single-season passing record and helped lead the Bears back to the playoffs and earn a postseason win.

The “Jumpman” Michael Jordan-like logo is an ode to the way that Williams made history last season. Chicago completed seven comeback wins last season when it trailed with two minutes left in the game. Some of those heroics were completed thanks to Williams’ ability to escape pressure and throw improbable passes, like the game-tying touchdown to tight end Cole Kmet against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoffs last season.

Appearing on the “Madden” cover has become one of the biggest honors for NFL players. It is usually given to a player who’s had an MVP-like season or someone who took the NFL by storm with their incredible play.

There is also a curse attributed to being on the cover, however. Many fans believe that players who appear on the “Madden” cover are cursed for the next season, whether that’s because of poor play or even injury.

Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor announced the joint practice during a news conference Tuesday. Taylor said the practice will take place two days before the teams play against each other at Paycor Stadium for a preseason game.

The Bears and Bengals have had some familiarity with each other over the past couple of years.

Chicago traveled to Cincinnati last season, where the Bears pulled off one of their seven comeback wins after trailing with two minutes left in the game. Quarterback Caleb Williams threw a go-ahead pass to tight end Colston Loveland in the final minute. The Bengals played the game without quarterback Joe Burrow, who was injured.

It will also be the second time the teams will hold a joint practice against each other in three years. Chicago hosted Cincinnati at Halas Hall in Lake Forest in 2024, which turned out to be a rainy day. The Bengals suffered a couple of serious injuries as they practiced during downpours.

Chicago will have two more preseason games, one at home against the Cleveland Browns and one on the road against the Tennessee Titans. It’s possible the Bears could add another joint practice if either of their opponents is interested.

Illinois lawmakers thought they had come up with a last-minute alternative plan to the Bears-backed megaprojects bill when the Illinois Senate approved a bill that would allow cities to create stadium authorities. Instead, the Illinois House decided not to vote on the Senate Bill for adjourning the spring legislative session.

Now the Bears are left with an interesting choice. Will they wait to see if Illinois lawmakers can pass a bill later in the year that would allow them to build a stadium in Arlington Heights? Or will they decide to take up Indiana’s offer and move to Hammond?

“We will finalize our evaluation of both Arlington Heights and Hammond, and remain on the late spring/early summer timeline that we have previously communicated,” the team said in a statement Monday morning. “We will provide an update when we have a decision to share.”

Monday was the latest shocker in a five-year search that’s had plenty since it started in 2021, when the team agreed to purchase the Arlington Heights property on the site of the former Arlington Park racecourse. There have been twists and turns throughout the process, including pivots back to Chicago before going back to Arlington Heights and now Northwest Indiana.

As of Tuesday, the Bears only have one offer to build a new stadium.

Indiana lawmakers moved quickly when Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren expanded the team’s search for a new stadium in December to include Northwest Indiana. They put together a bill to lure the Bears to jump over state lines and signed it into law at the end of February.

Lawmakers put together an enticing proposal. It set up the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority, which would own a potential Bears stadium after the team puts in $2 billion toward its construction. That would allow the Bears to not pay property taxes while also garnering all the revenue generated from it. The state will also allow the Bears to buy the stadium for $1 after 40-year bonds are paid off.

Indiana also offered $1 billion in public funding backed by state revenue on top of investments in roads and other infrastructure surrounding the stadium district.

Warren didn’t give a yes or no answer at the beginning of April when he was asked whether the team would go to Indiana if Illinois failed to pass legislation by the end of its session. Instead, he voiced why the team would be comfortable with either stadium location.

“There’s plenty of space to make sure that we do have a mixed-use development in both locations,” Warren said in April. “We’ve made it very clear. You’ve heard the NFL, you’ve heard the commissioner specifically say it: These projects, they’re challenging. And when you get to a point when you actually can see them coming to fruition, you need to make sure we capitalize on it. Just because [of] the positive economic energy it brings.”

If the Bears stick to the later part of their late spring/early summer deadline, that could give Illinois lawmakers a chance to pass something before the Bears decide to move to Indiana.

Illinois state leaders didn’t feel like they had enough time to pass the stadium authority bill, given how late it came to fruition. By Monday morning, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker himself said he hadn’t had time to read the full bill since it came in around 11 p.m. Sunday, an hour before the spring session ended.

Lawmakers aren’t expected back in Springfield until November’s veto session. Pritzker was open to the possibility of a special summer session to get a Bears bill across the finish line. But House Speaker Chris Welch told Capital News Illinois that lawmakers would tackle the issue sooner rather than later, just not in a special session.

“I know that the House has said that they’re going to continue to work on this over the summer,” Pritzker told reporters Monday morning. “I think the question of a special session is a question really for the legislators and not for the governor, here. They’ve got to come to an agreement about something or other, and then either one can call a special legislative session. I can as well.”

It won’t be easy to pass legislation with or without a special session, regardless of which Bears bill lawmakers decide to tackle. Each bill has faced strong opposition from key lawmakers across the state.

Illinois lawmakers decided to move off the megaprojects bill on Saturday night after years of working on it, since they felt it didn’t have the support in the Senate to pass. The bill would allow the Bears, and other major companies, to negotiate a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) instead of regular property taxes with local government bodies.

But the bill received opposition once it passed the House in April. Some state lawmakers were concerned about how such a deal would impact surrounding property taxes. Other lawmakers from Chicago had a hard time supporting a bill that would give the Bears a tax credit to leave Soldier Field.

The megaprojects bill could take some time to pass, longer than just the next month. But it remains on the table and is something Pritzker wants for the state beyond the Bears.

“We still need that, by the way,” Pritzker said. “Thirty-eight states have a PILOT megaprojects law. Thirty-eight states. We are literally behind the curve. All we’re doing is organizing the way that they negotiate. They’ve always been negotiating about property taxes all across the country. It’s just in Illinois where we have a disorganized, dysfunctional endeavor forever, and now we’re trying to organize it and make it work so that businesses will want to come here.”

The other Bears bill will face some headwinds, too.

Illinois’ stadium authority bill follows a similar blueprint to Indiana’s and others that have been used for NFL teams. The bill allows any city with 70,000 residents or more in Cook County to create an authority. The Bears would build a stadium and give it to the authority, which would allow the Bears to not pay property taxes.

Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia was disappointed Monday when the megaprojects bill didn’t pass. He said that not passing the megaprojects bill was “clearly a fumble for the state of Illinois.” But he didn’t voice opposition to the stadium authority bill.

The biggest obstacle once again will be state lawmakers from Chicago. Democrats have supermajorities in both chambers in Springfield. But without Chicago lawmakers, it might be hard to pass a bill. State leaders could work across the aisle and try to gain Republican lawmakers’ support for either bill.

“Now we have to continue to listen, you know,” Welch said. “I’ve already had meetings already on my schedule that is going to continue those conversations. I’m looking forward to hearing what folks have to say. I want to hear what the Bears have to say about the proposal that came over to the House, share that information with our caucus, work with our leaders that are actively involved in this process.”

The Bears need to decide how much more time they want to let pass in their five-year search. And if they’re willing to move across state lines if Illinois lawmakers don’t work quickly enough.

Bears owner and chairman George McCaskey was comfortable with the idea of moving to Indiana when he talked about it at the beginning of April. He pointed out numerous NFL teams that crossed state lines and felt comfortable that Bears fans would adjust regardless of whether they chose Arlington Heights or Hammond.

After five years, McCaskey and the Bears’ board of directors will have to make the best choice for the franchise.

“It’s an important decision,” McCaskey said in April. “It’s going to impact the Bears for decades to come. But the Bears board is empowered and entrusted by the shareholders to make this decision. We’re fully informed. Kevin’s been doing a great job keeping us up to date, and both sites are in the Bears’ home territory, as defined by the NFL, so I think we’ll be good either way.”

Lawmakers worked early into the night Monday morning to pass a new bill in the Illinois Senate 37-17 that would help the Bears build a stadium on a 326-acre property they own on the site of the former Arlington Park Racetrack. But the House adjourned the spring session at about 4:40 a.m. before voting on the bill.

The legislation still needs to be approved by the Illinois House and then signed by Gov. JB Pritzker. Unless there is a special session over the summer, lawmakers won’t return to Springfield until November.

“We need to continue our conversations on the Bears stadium question,” Welch told reporters during a news conference Monday morning. “I know in the House, we need time to review the bill that come over early this morning. We need to know where do the Bears stand. We need to take the time to get it right.”

The lack of action leaves the Bears building a new stadium in the air.

“We will finalize our evaluation of both Arlington Heights and Hammond, and remain on the late spring/early summer timeline that we have previously communicated,” the team said in a statement. “We will provide an update when we have a decision to share.”

Illinois lawmakers seemed on pace to pass a bill in the early morning after a complete change on the final day of the spring legislative session.

The bill the Senate passed Monday would allow municipalities in Cook County with a population of at least 70,000 residents to create their own municipal stadium authority. The franchise, which has previously dedicated $2 billion toward building a new stadium, would build the stadium but turn it over to the stadium authority to lease. It would require the Bears to agree to use the stadium for a term of at least 35 years.

This would allow the Bears not to pay property taxes on a new stadium since it will be a public building. The team would, however, have to pay property taxes on buildings within a potential stadium district. The bill would also permit a stadium authority to issue bonds to finance the construction of a stadium.

It also opens up an avenue, in the eyes of Chicago lawmakers, to keep the Bears in the city. Monday’s bill would theoretically help city officials come up with a plan for a stadium in Chicago, whether that’s on the lakefront next to Soldier Field or somewhere else.

The bill also created a solution for how infrastructure would be paid for surrounding a stadium district, wherever the Bears choose to build within the state.

The stadium authority will be allowed to issue revenue bonds that can be paid back solely using “pledged stadium revenues.” STAR bond district or NOVA district placed within a mile of the stadium could also pay for infrastructure, as well as other stadium district project costs.

Monday’s Senate passage was part of a last-minute effort by lawmakers to help persuade the Bears to stay in Illinois. The state’s spring legislative session ended Sunday night, but the Senate passed the bill in overtime after midnight with a supermajority.

Despite the quick turnaround, Welch didn’t feel comfortable putting the bill up for a vote before the end of the session, given how late it came in the process.

“That’s the legislative process, that’s sausage-making” Welch said. “It came over late, as you said. We didn’t have time to digest it. We didn’t have time to find out what other folks thought about the bill. I need to have some feedback from our members before asking them to vote for it on the floor.”

The bill already faced criticism from one of the mayors who is trying to entice the Bears to build a stadium in their community.

Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia threw cold water on the bill even though it hadn’t been passed into law. After years of working on a Bears-backed megaprojects bill, Tinaglia made it clear he thought Illinois lawmakers made a mistake.

“Although we recognize that these discussions are complex and involve many stakeholders, this is clearly a fumble for the state of Illinois,” Tinaglia said in a statement. “My commitment to the residents and businesses of Arlington Heights is unwavering, and we will continue to represent the interests of our community as future opportunities and next steps are considered.”

It was the latest development in what’s been a long legislative process for Illinois lawmakers.

Lawmakers went away from a Bears-backed megaprojects bill on the final day of the spring session. That bill would’ve allowed the Bears and any major company to make a Payment in Lieu of Taxes instead of a regular property tax.

They originally advanced the megaprojects bill out of the House Revenue and Finance Committee at the end of February. The House didn’t pass a revised version of it until late April.

But the bill received heavy skepticism from lawmakers in the Senate for various reasons. Most were concerned about how such a bill would affect property taxes in neighboring communities. Chicago lawmakers were also not interested in providing a tax credit that would allow the Bears to leave the city for the suburbs.

The Illinois Senate has been working through the bill since then, trying to determine how to amend it so that it would garner enough support in the Senate, but also in the House and from the Bears.

Illinois lawmakers have been under heightened pressure to get a deal done that’s earned national attention since December.

That’s when Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren opened up the team’s stadium search to include Northwest Indiana. Indiana lawmakers quickly jumped at the opportunity and passed and signed a bill into law in February to incentivize the Bears to move to Hammond, Indiana, just over the Illinois-Indiana border.

Both the Bears and the NFL have pushed for a quick resolution to the matter as well.

Bears brass and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell initially said at the NFL’s annual meetings during the spring that they’d like to have a decision during the late spring or early summer between the two spots. They reiterated that point and that they’re only considering two locations recently, when Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson made an effort to keep the team on the city’s lakefront.

The bill would help the Bears finally end a five-year search that started in 2021 when the team agreed to purchase the Arlington Heights property on the site of the former Arlington Park racecourse. There have been twists and turns throughout the process, including pivots back to Chicago before going back to Arlington Heights and now Northwest Indiana.

The Bears have waited for years to evaluate what their options are for building a new stadium.

They have played in Chicago since 1921, when they first played at Wrigley Field after moving from Decatur, Illinois. The team has played at Soldier Field since 1971, with a one-year stay in Champaign in 2003 during stadium renovations. It has a lease at Soldier Field that lasts until 2033, which can be broken earlier by paying a termination payment.

Now the Bears will need to decide how long they want to wait. Pritzker said there are two bills up for consideration, and it would be up to the legislative leaders to determine whether they wanted to call a special session over the summer.

Pritzker made it clear that he didn’t want to lose the Bears to Indiana. But he also made it clear that he wouldn’t waver on his principles about what he’s willing to negotiate to make that happen.

“I wasn’t willing to give up billions of dollars of taxpayer money in order to give it to a billionaire-owned team,” Pritzker said. “I believe very much that the incentives that we provide for businesses ought to be similar to the incentives we provide to this type of business as much as an emotional connection as many of us have to the Bears and to keeping them in the city of Chicago or the state of Illinois, number one principle is we’re not going to foist this on the taxpayers of the state of Illinois.”

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Illinois State Senator Bill Cunningham, a top negotiator on legislation intended to allow the Bears to negotiate tax certainty in their effort to build a stadium in Arlington Heights, told reporters Saturday night that lawmakers were working on finding a way to put together a bill that would keep the Bears in Illinois.

“We’re talking over those options with the caucus,” Cunningham told reporters in Springfield. “We hope that it results in some sort of bill to be filed [Sunday] morning. But there’s still some things we’re working through.”

While Cunningham said a lot remains on the table during the final day, he did make some concrete statements about what will and won’t happen.

The first was that a megaproject bill that would allow the Bears to make a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) wouldn’t have enough support to pass Sunday. Lawmakers originally advanced the megaprojects bill out of the House Revenue and Finance Committee at the end of February. The Illinois House passed a heavily revised version of it in late April.

But there have been plenty of questions about the megaprojects bill since it made its way to the Senate. Lawmakers questioned how it would impact property taxes in surrounding communities as well as many other aspects of the bill.

Cunningham said those questions are why he didn’t think the Bears-backed bill would have enough support to get through before the session ended Sunday night.

“The same sticking points are there that have always been there,” Cunningham said. “Discomfort in the caucus with the Bears’ proposal regarding the property tax breaks. We’re having a difficult time working through that. We also have members of the Chicago caucus. we’d like to find some sort of path where the city of Chicago would also have the ability to compete for a stadium. Those are the pressure we’re working through.”

Part of the problem is that Chicago lawmakers aren’t open to vote for a bill that would help the Bears earn tax credit in order to leave the city.

City lawmakers have pushed back against the bill even as it passed the House last month. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson visited Springfield in recent weeks to help the cause to keep the Bears in Chicago.

The Bears have repeatedly said over the past few months that they’re only considering two options to build their new stadium: Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana.

“I think there’s always been from day one, there has always been a Chicago problem with the Bears proposal,” Cunningham said. “The Bears have had a proposal on the table for a couple of years that asks Chicago members of the legislation to vote for a tax credit that would encourage a business to leave Chicago. Legislators generally don’t do that. That’s always been an obstacle to pass this bill.”

Despite the Bears’ hesitation, Cunningham re-opened the possibility of a Bears stadium in the city. He said city lawmakers have made it clear that they would support a bill that would pit them on an “equal plane” with any other city in Illinois to negotiate a new stadium deal.

There’s been a back-and-forth between the Bears and the city of Chicago over the past few weeks about whether the Bears went back to the city about potentially staying in the city. Despite the Bears’ repeated stance that they’re only considering two options, Cunningham said there have been more talks to stay than they’ve let on.

“I would point out that it’s been established that the Bears have met repeatedly with the city of Chicago over the past several months to talk about this,” Cunningham said. “So although they’ve publicly said that, there have been talks between the city and and the Bears.”

Illinois lawmakers have been under heightened pressure to get a deal done that’s earned national attention since December. That’s when Bears president and CEO Kevin Warren opened up the team’s stadium search to include Northwest Indiana. Indiana lawmakers passed and signed a bill into law in February to incentivize the Bears to move to Hammond, Indiana, just over the Illinois-Indiana border.

Any bill would help the Bears finally end a six-year search that started in 2021 when the team agreed to purchase the Arlington Heights property on the site of the former Arlington Park racecourse. There have been twists and turns throughout the process, including pivots back to Chicago before going back to Arlington Heights and now Northwest Indiana.

The Bears and NFL have said they’d like the team to make a decision about where they’ll build their new stadium during the late spring and early summer. Sunday night’s deadline looms for Illinois lawmakers to come up with a plan and pass it through the Senate and the House.

But Cunningham didn’t think Sunday night had to be the end if lawmakers didn’t get a bill passed.

“I don’t know if it’s a deadline,” Cunningham said. “We would like to get something completed before we leave town [Sunday] night.”

Most coaches try to avoid hyperbole during offseason workouts, especially Organized Team Activities. Great performances in shorts during the spring don’t always translate to games in the fall.

But Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson didn’t shy away from sharing his excitement Thursday during the second day of OTAs at Halas Hall. It only took one OTA practice and about a month of voluntary workouts for him to fully buy into the Luther Burden III hype.

“I’m buying Luther Burden stock right now,” Johnson said. “Just how he’s approached his offseason, it’s been electric. I showed up yesterday, he had numerous explosive plays. I loved how in Phase 2, he was finishing every single rep that he took, and that really translated over to yesterday as well. So he’s in a really good spot.”

There are plenty of reasons to buy Burden’s stock at this point.

Burden broke out toward the second half of last season after Bears general manager Ryan Poles selected him in the second round of last year’s draft. He missed a good part of the spring last year because of injuries, which delayed his development. Burden finished only one of his first seven games with more than 51 receiving yards thanks to a flea-flicker pass against the Dallas Cowboys.

But Burden became more of a threat as he got comfortable in the offense down the stretch. Johnson wanted to find different ways to get the ball in his hands because of his speed, so he called different screens and short throws. Burden made the most of his opportunities and finished with 652 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

“When we drafted him, we saw an explosive athlete who was really dangerous with the ball in his hands,” Johnson said. “The question was, how can we get it in his hands? The easy things to do are screens or short throws, but I think there’s a lot more to his game that we’ve worked to unlock, and he’s been really receptive to how we can get that done.”

Burden has spent most of the offseason at Halas Hall working to get faster in all senses of the word.

He used the off months to get stronger and quicker as he wanted to expand his route tree. Burden made the most of an opportunity he didn’t get last year after rookie minicamp, as he dealt with a couple of injuries that kept him out until training camp.

Burden also used the offseason to fully dive into Johnson’s playbook. After a delayed start to his NFL career, Burden struggled to be in the right spots throughout training camp. He showed more comfort in his alignments and assignments during the second half of the season, which has carried over to the spring.

“He looks like what we saw coming out of college, and obviously, now, there’s no hesitation,” Bears wide receivers coach Antwaan Randle El said. “He knows the offense, he’s getting off, he’s running. And the other thing is just getting off the ball and running, like full speed, no hesitation, and that’s showing up because he knows the offense. He has more confidence than he’s had before.

“He’s catching it, he’s finishing down the field, and those things translate over to the game. It’s good to see him doing that and continuing to move forward with that.”

Burden has noticed a change in his speed this offseason because of his comfort in the playbook. Instead of wasting effort thinking about what he has to do on each play call, Burden just goes out there and does it.

“I feel it helps a lot, because if you’re thinking about what you’ve got to do, you can’t even focus on what the defense is in,” Burden said. “You’re trying to focus on what you’ve gotta do. If you already know what you’ve got to do, I feel like you’ll have a better plan of how to attack their defense.”

It’s a safe bet that Burden will have more chances to show off that speed at the start of the season.

Burden will be higher in quarterback Caleb Williams’ progression after the team traded wide receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills this offseason. Moore finished second on the team with 85 targets last season compared to Burden’s 60.

Williams will still have top targets like wide receiver Rome Odunze and tight end Colston Loveland. But Burden will look to fill Moore’s void in production and compete for the top of the pecking order.

“I just feel like somebody else in the room got to step up,” Burden said. “Got to step up when your number is called. DJ was great for us, great leader for us, great leader for the room, so somebody’s got to step up.”

The Bears are betting Burden will be that player.

Poles and Johnson couldn’t pass on the opportunity to select Burden last year when he dropped to them in the second round despite the talent they already had in the wide receiver room. Burden’s ability to do something special with the ball in his hands was too much to say no to.

Bears teammates have seen how motivated Burden has been during the offseason to make that bet cash in. Running back D’Andre Swift told reporters Thursday that Burden looks like a young player who’s hungry and confident in his ability.

So what exactly is Burden hungry for?

“Just prove that I am who I say I am,” Burden said.

Who’s that?

“The guy,” Burden said. “I’m that guy. ”

The Bears had accomplished plenty of firsts in Johnson’s inaugural season in charge. A return to the playoffs, a playoff win, an NFC North championship. But he said Chicago would have to start from the ground up all over again if it wanted to get back to the playoffs for the first time in consecutive seasons since 2006.

Building that foundation started for the Bears in earnest this week with the start of organized team activities.

“We start all over,” running back D’Andre Swift said Thursday at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. “We ain’t thinking about last year. New opportunity, that’s how I look at it. What we did last year was last year. Whole new season, whole new opportunity – one that I’m excited for- just build off of it. It was a good year last year. I’m not going to downplay it at all, but it’s over with. We’ve got to do more.”

Swift and his teammates won’t completely move on from what they learned last year, however.

Chicago is in a much better spot starting OTA compared with this time last year. Players understand what the expectations are from Johnson and the coaching staff compared with starting from scratch last offseason. They know what coaches are looking for, from body language and communication to consistency and finish.

Johnson has noticed that returning players haven’t skipped a beat on both sides of the ball. They’ve picked up where they left off last season. There’s a lot less thinking about what they’re supposed to be doing and just doing it instead.

“There’s just a different level of, I don’t want to say comfort, but they know,” Johnson said. “They know what it’s supposed to look like. And so, that’s a good thing. We can kind of hit the ground running a little bit.”

That includes the quarterback room, most importantly, Caleb Williams.

The operation Thursday looked smoother than it had at the start of training camp last year. There still were some false-start issues during Thursday’s practice that reporters were allowed to watch. But that is expected early in the offseason program with some new players.

Williams showed that he mastered different aspects of the pre-snap, such as communication, breaking the huddle and urgency at the line of scrimmage. Now the coaching staff is looking for Williams to take that next step over the coming weeks and months.

“Now it’s the next level of each concept,” Johnson said. “What are we trying to do and potentially expanding on, ‘Hey, here’s your progression .. one, two, three’ to how can we accelerate our eyes, our vision. What are we looking for? Some coverage indicators to where we might take more alerts, things of that nature. So, a little bit more minute with it, but those guys have been really receptive to it.”

Chicago also got to work with near-perfect attendance.

Defensive end Montez Sweat was the most notable starter not spotted at practice Thursday. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been in the building during the offseason. The Bears have shared social media videos that showed Sweat’s attendance, and he might’ve just not practiced Thursday.

Other notable absences included offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo, defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, linebackers T.J. Edwards and Noah Sewell, and defensive tackle Shemar Turner, all of whom battled injuries last season. Rookie linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and cornerback Malik Muhammad didn’t practice either.

Cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon both practiced Thursday. Johnson was a full participant, while Gordon took part in individual drills.

Jaylon Johnson hadn’t been a part of the team’s offseason workouts until this week. Players aren’t required to work out with teams until minicamp in June.

Ben Johnson appreciated Jaylon Johnson joining his teammates this week as the team hit the field for practices.

“[It’s a] voluntary program, so everyone’s got different ways they want to go about their business, but I appreciate him being here now with his teammates and getting to know them,” Ben Johnson said. “We have a lot of new faces in the building, so you can’t overstate the importance of that. It’s just getting to know your buddy, because you’re going to lay it out on the line for him on game day, and so that’s what we’re looking to do right now.”

The importance of attending OTA is something veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett learned later in his 12-year NFL career.

Jarrett didn’t always attend OTA practices when he was younger. But as time went on, he learned that the practices in late May and early June are when teams set the foundation for playoff runs, something the Bears are working toward starting this week.

“I think just spending the time in the building, I think one is just enjoying what you do for work,” Jarrett said. “I enjoy working out. I enjoy football. Not really much else I want to be doing right now. I like being here. I like being around the game and really just trying to find the things in my game to where I can continue to be better, and to spend this time with each other as a team, I think, is critical. Our season is made in the offseason. I truly believe that.”

For the first time in nine years this winter, Studesville was a coaching free agent. New Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley decided not to bring him back after Studesville had survived three coaching changes. Studesville had been a running backs coach in the NFL since 2001 and had spoken with teams about various opportunities.

But the Chicago Bears’ running backs coach opening stood out. The unit had one of the NFL’s best transformations last season under former running backs coach Eric Bieniemy. Chicago went from one of the worst rushing teams to one of the best in a year.

It didn’t hurt that Bears head coach Ben Johnson showed a dedication to running the ball throughout the team’s run to the NFC Divisional Playoff last year. Chicago became the obvious destination for Studesville.

“[Johnson] has a commitment to the run game,” Studesville said. “As a running backs coach, that’s an easy thing to sell in your room.”

Studesville himself was an easy sell to Johnson. The two spent time together in Miami when Johnson was a tight ends coach there. There, Studesville continued a reputation as one of the better running backs coaches in the NFL.

Miami had a top-15 running game two of the past three seasons. The Dolphins finished 13th in rushing yards per game last season (120.2) despite a 7-10 record and placed sixth in 2023 (135.8). Dolphins running back De’Von Achane finished fifth in the NFL and ran for a career-high 1,350 yards last season.

The Dolphins were his fourth stop since he started his NFL career with the Bears in 1997 as an offensive assistant before becoming the team’s wide receiver coach. He spent time as the running backs coach with the New York Giants, Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos, winning a Super Bowl with Denver in 2015.

“He’s been around the block a few times,” Johnson said in February. “He’s been a part of really good rushing offenses in the past, and I know he’s going to bring a great flavor for us. ”

Studesville also seemed to share the same vision for the running back room as Johnson.

The Bears started the march back to the playoffs last season once the running game got going. Not only did the backs put up big numbers running the ball for most of the season, but they also made an impact in the passing game – either as pass-catchers or pass-blockers.

It’s a change that Johnson brought with him during his first season last year and one that Studesville plans to continue.

“We’re going to do whatever it takes to contribute to winning,” Studesville said. “And if that’s running the ball, and there’s games we’re going to have to do that, then we’ve got to do that effectively in our room. If there’s games where we got to throw it and we got to protect and catch it and make people miss and do things in the pass game.”

Studesville wasn’t worried about the group’s transition from Bieniemy, who left this offseason to become the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, to himself. Bieniemy was known for a loud personality and hard coaching, which brought out the best in the group last season.

The two are actually very close friends, but Studesville wants to put his own twist on the unit rather than fitting a mold.

“I think I’m just myself,” Studesville said. “I go in there, I have a philosophy of how I like to do things, of how I see things. I have to obviously tailor that to Ben and [offensive coordinator] Press [Taylor], and what this offense requires and what they want me to do. ... We talk through those things, and then the things that are the foundations and fundamentals of this offense, we’re going to continue to do those things, and we’re going to build on all the little things.”

Studesville will have a solid two-headed monster in D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai to help reach that goal.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles decided not to change the running back room much after Chicago finished third in the NFL, averaging 144.5 rushing yards per game. Poles didn’t make a major addition in free agency or the draft, instead running it back with Swift, who has one year left on his contract, and Monangai.

Swift had a career year last season. He rushed for season bests with 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns. Swift also made an impact in the passing game, catching 34 passes for 299 yards and a touchdown.

Studesville hasn’t had much interaction with Swift since their time together at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2020. But Swift impressed Studesville with his play from last season and the professionalism he’s shown this offseason.

“I think he’s really, really talented,” Studesville said. “You watch him on the field, watch him move, changing direction, burst, accelerations, particularly for this time of year. But you just see the skill set, and you see why he’s had success in this league and why he’s been so productive.”

Monanagi also impressed Studesville in his rookie season. He rushed for 783 yards and five touchdowns after Poles selected him in the seventh round last year.

Studesville wasn’t surprised to see Monangai succeed with his hard-nosed running. He had spent time with Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, who coached Monangai in college, and knew that’s what Monangai would bring to the NFL.

Studesville looks forward to seeing continued growth from Monangai and the entire running back room as offseason workouts progress in the coming weeks.

“Continued development, I think for all of them,” Studesville said. “We’re going to talk about continually pushing to improve all the time. Each individual collectively, as a group, me as a coach. How can we continually get better every day to be able to put ourselves in position to help us win? I don’t think that journey ever is changing or gets halted until we say we’re done doing this.”

Williams has hardly had coaching consistency since the Bears selected him No. 1 overall in 2024. He’s been forced to learn two new offenses during his first two offseasons in the NFL.

But with most of the Bears’ offensive coaching staff that helped them reach the NFC Divisional Playoffs returning next season, primarily head coach Ben Johnson, Williams will have his best chance at developing over the next few months.

“Nothing’s changing, really,” Bears quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett said. “Same thing. We still go back to the basics in making sure that we’re having a sound foundation of what we’re trying to do and what we want him to do, so nothing’s changing, really.”

It will be the first time Williams will work with the same play caller since his 2023 season at USC.

Williams started his NFL career working with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron during his rookie season before interim OC/head coach Thomas Brown took over later in the year after the Bears fired Waldron. Then Williams started from the bottom when the Bears hired Johnson last season.

It won’t be the same group from last season, however. The Baltimore Ravens hired away former offensive coordinator Declan Doyle this offseason, and the Bears promoted passing game coordinator Press Taylor to the position. Taylor will assume Doyle’s responsibilities, which include leading offensive meetings when Johnson cannot and making halftime adjustments.

But Johnson was confident there wouldn’t be a big gap from what the Bears did last season.

“I feel really good about the transition,” Johnson said in March at the NFL’s annual meeting. “[Taylor] was natural in front of the room, the opportunities that [he] got last year. Obviously, he’s been a coordinator before, that helps. That experience really helps. And he’s got the respect of the coaching staff as well. So whenever I’m not in the room, he knows exactly how to drive the ship so that we’re still being productive.”

That will be important for Williams as he becomes more comfortable in the offense.

That started to happen for Williams and the offense as the season progressed last year. But there were still plenty of moments where they came out slow because of miscommunication between Williams and his receivers. That forced Williams into hero mode, which contributed to seven comeback wins.

The Bears are hoping to fix those problems during voluntary workouts and training camp. Williams is spending less time learning terminology and concepts.

Instead, he’s taking ownership of Johnson’s offense.

“Now the information is not foreign to him,” Barrett said. “He has better understanding of why we do things and what’s the reason. For him, you’ll just be able to see a growth of operation and execution of the offense, just from the efficiency standpoint, and getting us in the right plays and being able to communicate. All of that is going to improve, being that he has more ownership of it.”

Williams also has a better relationship with Johnson.

There were times during their first season together when Williams said he didn’t know if Johnson liked him. But as the year went on, the two built a stronger relationship, and Williams started to understand how Johnson was wired.

Williams and his teammates learned how intense Johnson can be at times. Williams looked forward to that intensity only increasing during their second year together.

“Coaching matters,” Williams said in April. “That’s something we always say. And then you have to have the person on the other side to receive the coaching. I think I did well this year. But one of the first things we talked about when we first met, I guess, two days after the game was, ‘It’s going to be more. It’s going to be more difficult. I’m going to push you more.’ And my answer is ‘Yes, sir. Let’s do it.’ You know what I mean? I have a goal. He has a goal. And those align with each other. And it’s making sure we get to that end game.”

The work has already started over the past month during voluntary workouts.

Coaches have spent time working with Williams fixing various parts of his game, including increasing his completion rate. There were plenty of moments last year where Williams attempted the harder pass in his progression instead of taking the easier option. Coaches want Williams not to work as hard at times and let his teammates make a play instead of going for the home run pass.

They’re conversations Bears coaches feel more comfortable having now compared to this time last year. They’re conversations the Bears believe will help Williams take a big step this offseason.

“He’s been great this entire time with being able to coach him up and look at it from a lens of these are areas where we’re going to improve,” Barrett said. “With that, he’s been great as far as accepting the coaching.”