Former Chicago Bears star Brian Urlacher has weighed in on the team’s ongoing stadium saga, expressing a desire to keep the franchise within Illinois and criticizing the state’s handling of funding negotiations. Speaking last week, the Pro Football Hall of Famer emphasized his preference for the Bears to remain at Soldier Field but acknowledged that a move to Arlington Heights would be more acceptable than relocating out of state.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s Indiana or somewhere in Illinois — I can’t picture them leaving Soldier Field,” Urlacher said in an interview. However, he acknowledged that the downtown stadium “was already off the table” for this year and pointed to the Bears’ property in Arlington Heights as the most viable alternative.

The Bears currently own the 326-acre site of the former Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights, a suburb northwest of Chicago, which the organization has identified as its preferred location within Cook County. While the team has expressed intent to move forward with a proposed stadium site in Hammond, Indiana, it also says it remains open to discussions with Illinois officials.

Urlacher criticized Illinois lawmakers and Governor J.B. Pritzker for their inability to reach a property-tax funding deal critical to securing the Bears’ future in the state. He linked the stalemate to broader state budget priorities, particularly the allocation of funds supporting immigrant communities.

“You look at all the money they’ve given to illegal immigrants and the money they’ve set aside for that — it’s like $2.5, $3 billion that they’ve spent on the illegal immigrants,” Urlacher asserted. “That money could be for the Bears, could be trying to keep them, not for the Bears, but trying to keep their stadium in town, instead of keeping people that aren’t supposed to be in our country here.”

Urlacher singled out Governor Pritzker and Illinois legislators, urging them to take necessary steps to retain the Bears in the state. “You do what you have to do to keep the Bears there,” he said.

The Bears’ ownership has maintained that negotiations remain ongoing but appears to be moving forward with the Hammond site after stating that no other locations within Illinois are under active consideration besides Arlington Heights. Governor Pritzker has indicated willingness to convene a special legislative session if lawmakers can reach consensus on a property-tax incentive package to keep the team in Chicago, though the regular session is not scheduled to reconvene until November.

As discussions continue, the Bears’ future location remains a pivotal issue for the team, local officials, and fans, with financial and political factors playing a critical role in the outcome.