The NFL world will convene in Phoenix next week for the league’s annual meeting as the offseason continues.

The Chicago Bears were one of the biggest stories last season with their return to the playoffs in remarkable fashion. Although they’ve had a quieter offseason so far, there’s still plenty of interest in the team both on and off the field.

All of the key Bears brass will speak during the three-day event starting Monday. Bears owner and chairman George McCaskey, president and CEO Kevin Warren, general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson will all speak with reporters next week.

Here are four things that we can learn from the Bears at the NFL annual meeting.

Where’s the stadium going?

Both McCaskey and Warren are scheduled to speak with reporters Wednesday for the first time since August. It will be their first chance to talk about the lack of a decision yet in terms of where the team’s new stadium will go.

A lot has happened since both last spoke even though ground hasn’t been broken yet. Warren reopened the team’s search to include Northwest Indiana in December and Indiana lawmakers quickly jumped at the opportunity, passing a bill last month to entice the franchise to move.

That quick action added some pressure for Illinois lawmakers, who didn’t make legislation that would allow the Bears to negotiate a property tax rate with local governments a priority last year. An Illinois House committee passed a Bears-backed megaproject legislation last month. But it’s up in the air how much longer it will take to turn the bill into law.

The Bears’s lease at Soldier Field runs until 2033, so the Bears still have time. But both McCaskey and Warren could set a deadline as building costs continue to get more expensive.

Update on ownership

McCaskey made it clear at last year’s meeting that his family planned on owning the franchise “for as long as possible.” But it will be interesting to see if the Bears are open to other sorts of investment into the team to help fund their stadium project.

In 2024, NFL owners approved a measure that allowed private equity funds to buy up to 10% stakes into teams. The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins were the first to do so while the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots have also taken part in the past year.

Both McCaskey and Warren seemed cautious about the proposition when asked about it last year. Warren was expected to present the benefits and faults of private equity investment to the team’s board of directors last year.

But the benefits might be too hard to pass, even in a smaller percentage investment. The Bears have said they would help pay for wherever they build a stadium in the coming years. Selling of a portion of the team could help the team pay for all the construction.

Draft strategy

The Bears will also have plenty to talk about on when it comes to their product on the field.

Chicago still has major needs to address after its free agent additions earlier this month. Poles will need to address nearly every position on defense, whether it’s a starter or backup, in next month’s draft. He’ll also be tasked with supplementing to his explosive offense from last season.

Although the Bears don’t have a top-10 draft pick, they still have plenty of draft capital. They’ll have the No. 25 overall pick along with two in the second round (Nos. 57 and 60) and one in the third round (No. 89). Chicago will also have one fourth-round pick (No. 129) and two in the seventh (Nos. 239 and 241).

Poles could give fans a better understanding of how he’s approaching this year’s draft. That could include what position he thinks highly of in this year’s class and which one he doesn’t after attending different colleges’ pro days.

Rules changes

NFL owners will also vote on a set of rules that could go into effect next season.

Three playing rules that will be voted on will involve the kickoff. Owners will decide whether they want to allow a declared onside kick any point of the game, eliminate a kicking team’s incentive to intentionally kick the ball out of bounds when kicking off from the 50-yard line and adjust the kickoff alignment requirements for the receiving team in the setup zone.

They’ll also vote on two rules involving refereeing. The first rule wants to allow league personnel to consult with on-field officials when considering disqualification for flagrant football and non-football acts that weren’t called on the field. The second is a rule that would take place for one year and would allow the NFL Officiating Department to correct clear and obvious calls missed by officials on the field in the event of a referee work stoppage.

Owners won’t consider a ban of the controversial “tush push” rule next week, however.