JB Pritzker Just Folded On Critical Issue In Stadium Standoff With Bears

JB Pritzker has acted like a man with no time in his busy schedule to take the Chicago Bears seriously on their push for a new stadium. He did everything short of openly insulting them for three years, even relaying the message that their desires wouldn’t be prioritized in 2026. That may end up being one of his biggest miscalculations as governor. Shortly after it happened, the Bears announced they were considering moving to Northwest Indiana and out of Illinois entirely.

This was not something Pritzker was prepared for. He expected the Bears to stew in frustration and either back off the stadium discussions or just find a way to fund the thing themselves. Moving to Indiana would be a monumental loss for Chicago and the state of Illinois, given that the organization has been part of both for over a century. If you weren’t sure whether Pritzker was feeling the heat from this situation, his recent comments about one of the core issues surrounding the stadium talks have reversed.

Pritzker clarifies that the Bears “don’t owe” remaining Soldier Field debt, but adds that he doesn’t “want to leave the city of Chicago or the state of Illinois with enormous debt that that goes unpaid. And so we have to figure out how that happens.” Full transcript: pic.twitter.com/fvdZOL9LJZ

— Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) January 16, 2026

This is a bit of a walk back for Pritzker, who said last year that "we need the Bears to to pay off what's owed on the existing stadium" as a prerequisite for the PILOT bill they're pushing in Springfield. Again, a separate conversation from infrastructure.https://t.co/Uxqo0hEEJl https://t.co/cqzDYHWC2e

— Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) January 16, 2026

JB Pritzker has lost his strong bargaining position.

He had the Bears in a perfect spot, with them willing to foot the bill for the stadium. All they asked for was help with the infrastructure needed to make the project viable. Instead of playing the hand, Pritzker decided to take a victory lap by telling them they’d have to wait another year, then maybe he’d get to it. Unsurprisingly, they took that as an insult and, feeling they had no other options, began speaking with Indiana, who has been aggressive in their efforts to lure the Bears south.

He may put on a confident face, but JB Pritzker can’t hide reality. Those comments indicate a position that has significantly weakened in recent weeks. The Bears and Indiana appear to be making greater progress towards an agreement with each passing day. Does Pritzker want to go down in history as the governor who let the Bears leave Illinois despite having a highly favorable deal on his desk? It doesn’t seem so. Whether he can do anything about it before time runs out is the bigger question.