Chicago sports champion says city officials are 'in denial' about Bears leaving for Indiana

Former Chicago Cubs prima Anthony Rizzo is reveling successful the Windy City aft retirement, but beauteous soon, the metropolis volition beryllium without a superior sport.

The Chicago Bears of the National Football League are acceptable to permission Chicago for Hammond, Indiana, astir 20 miles southbound of their existent home.

The Bears person called Soldier Field location since 1971, and earlier that, they played their location games astatine Rizzo's aged stomping grounds, Wrigley Field, for 50 seasons.

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A wide presumption wrong Soldier Field during the nationalist anthem earlier the crippled betwixt the Seattle Seahawks and the Chicago Bears successful Chicago, Ill., connected Dec. 26, 2024. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

While the Bears person been beauteous insistent connected leaving, metropolis officials person been trying desperately to support them, and Rizzo says they are "in denial that they're going."

"I deliberation they're trying to contradict it arsenic agelong arsenic they tin until it's official," Rizzo told Fox News Digital.

"Soldier Field was, is, awesome, successful my opinion. It's hard to get successful and retired of, and it decidedly needed immoderate renovations, but the metropolis of Chicago and the instrumentality base, it's perfectly chaotic that they're leaving for Indiana. I cognize it's not excessively acold away; it's not adjacent 20 miles south, but the information that it's successful Indiana is different," helium continued.

Chicago Cubs archetypal baseman Anthony Rizzo celebrates during the team's World Series triumph rally astatine Grant Park successful Chicago, Ill., connected Nov. 4, 2016. (Patrick Gorski/Icon Sportswire)

CHICAGO BEARS TAKE MAJOR STEP TOWARD LEAVING CITY AFTER MORE THAN A CENTURY AS FRANCHISE MAKES INDIANA PLANS

"Then again, the New York Giants and the New York Jets play successful New Jersey, so. The renderings of what they're doing look amazing. If you physique it, they volition come, right?"

The Bears' committee of directors met past week into the evening and voted to beforehand the stadium improvement task successful Hammond, Indiana — with an nonstop stadium tract to beryllium selected. The announcement was made the adjacent day.

"We judge a world-class stadium task successful Hammond volition alteration the region, connecting Northwest Indiana and the South Side of Chicago done the Loop and crossed the neighborhoods and suburbs stretching northbound of the city," Bears Chairman George H. McCaskey and CEO Kevin Warren said successful a statement.

"It volition bring Chicagoland unneurotic and present caller opportunities to its residents and businesses."

This is the archetypal clip the team's committee has voted connected a stadium site. This improvement is notable and significant, but an NFL root told Fox News determination is simply a accidental Illinois mightiness inactive beryllium capable to person the squad to enactment successful the state. Those chances were characterized arsenic requiring "a Hail Mary" governmental effort.

Chicago Bears helmets are displayed earlier the crippled against the Las Vegas Raiders astatine Allegiant Stadium successful Paradise, Nev., connected Sept. 28, 2025. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)

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However, that Hail Mary, adjacent if it were to work, volition inactive determination the nine retired of Chicago, with the lone tract successful Illinois arsenic a apt landing spot being Arlington Heights.

Outkick's Armando Salguero contributed to this report.

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