The Chicago Bears went into Soldier Field on Saturday night hoping to slay their demons by knocking off the Green Bay Packers in a meaningful game. This is not something that has happened in decades. Sure, the Bears beat them in 2018 for the division title, but the Packers weren't good that year. The last big game was 2013, and that was the infamous Randall Cobb 4th down game. It looked like this would go the same way as many others, until Caleb Williams happened in the 4th quarter.
Aided by an onside kick, the Bears quarter tied the game 16-16 with seconds left on a touchdown to Jahdae Walker. Then, in overtime, a defensive stop on 4th down gave them the ball with a chance to win. On the fourth play of the drive, Williams lofted a pristine 46-yard bomb to D.J. Moore for a touchdown. Insanity ensues. As Bears fans went crazy in one of the greatest moments ever at Soldier Field, they didn't know that less than 16 miles away, the team was quietly taking a big step towards its future, according to Joseph S. Pete of The Times of Northwest Indiana.
The Chicago Bears are conducting preliminary testing on a potential stadium site in Hammond that borders the City of Chicago and lies in the shadow of the Midwest's largest oil refinery.
As the Bears won a thrilling overtime walk-off victory against the rival Packers, trucks and drilling equipment were dispatched this weekend to Wolf Lake in north Hammond's Robertsdale neighborhood to scout out a potential replacement for Soldier Field. A source close to the project said the trucks were drilling and testing a potential stadium site for the Bears.
Workers had placed green and yellow flags to identify where buried water and gas lines were located south of Wolf Lake Memorial Park.
The Chicago Bears are showing they're dead serious.
Kevin Warren made it clear in his public statement on Wednesday that this is not a leverage play. When the Illinois state government made it clear that they wouldn't engage the team on infrastructure talks for the Arlington Heights location in 2026, it was a line in the sand. With the blessing of the McCaskey family, Warren opened the door for talks with the Indiana governor and state officials about a potential site in Hammond. It is just over the border, around 30 minutes from downtown along the lakefront.
It is a heavily industrialized area that has been in need of a makeover for several years. That is probably why the state is so eager to put a team like the Chicago Bears there. It would attract a large number of tourists to the location and generate significant business. That kind of money could help elevate the entire region as a more attractive destination, which is something the state has sought for a long time. One thing is certain: the Bears wouldn't be bothering with this if it were a bluff. They're serious, and this could move really fast if Pritzker and the Illinois government aren't careful.
