ESPN and other sports media outlets have been covering the Chicago Bears and their controversial stadium decision for over a week now. Recently, the Bears organization announced that they are moving forward with plans to build a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana. This new site is about 20 miles away from where Soldier Field is currently located.
This decision was made because the Illinois legislature did not pass any laws that would have given the Bears tax breaks for building their new stadium within Chicago or Arlington Heights. There still is a chance that this could happen in the coming weeks, but as of right now it appears as if the Bears are going to be leaving the city which they have called home for over 100 years.
Brian Urlacher goes on ESPN to explain the real problem with the Chicago Bears moving
The Bears moved to Chicago from Decatur, Illinois in 1922 and have been there ever since. In the 100+ years that they have called the Windy City home, there have been iconic football moments with the weather and elements playing huge roles in forming the mystique that surrounds the Bears.
And Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher, who played in Chicago from 2000-2012, thinks all of that will go away:
Brian Urlacher on This Is Football had the best Chicago Bears stadium take I’ve seen.
“I do not like the Bears playing anywhere but Soldier Field.”
Why? The Bears belong OUTDOORS.
“I don’t like them playing in a dome anywhere…”
An ELECTRIC episode drops this week. pic.twitter.com/TMxbviz9B3
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) June 10, 2026
“I do not like the Bears playing anywhere but Soldier Field. Even when they were going to Arlington Heights, which is in Illinois, they were going to be in a dome. And if they go to Indiana, they’ll be in a dome. I don’t like the idea of them playing in a dome anywhere.
“I understand, financially, it makes a ton of sense. They don’t own Soldier Field, so Sunday’s are not very profitable for them. If these were the Cowboys, Jerry Jones owns that stadium. He’s doing pretty well on Sunday’s.
“The Bears don’t own their stadium, and the state of Illinois is not giving them as good of a deal as maybe they should. Indiana is willing to offer them more. I don’t like it, but I get it. It’s only 25 minutes from downtown, so what’s the big deal? Besides playing in a dome, which I don’t like.”
As one can see, Urlacher does not necessarily seeing the Bears leaving Chicago as a big deal because they will be so close to downtown anyway.
However, what he does bemoan is the fact that they will likely be playing in a dome soon, which means all those weather aspects that made Chicago an iconic football organization will no longer be a part of the game.
