Roger Goodell: NFL wants to make sure Illinois has ‘opportunity’ to keep Bears

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed Wednesday that he recently met with Illinois officials about a potential Bears stadium.

“We want to make sure that Arlington Heights and Illinois have an opportunity, and Indiana as well, to put their best foot forward,” he told reporters at the NFL’s quarterly meeting.

He claimed the commissioner’s office is often involved in stadium politicking.

“I’m involved in a lot of stadium efforts,” he said, per USA Today. “It’s not unusual for me to be involved in conversations with either public officials or others. Or our staff. These are important decisions, not just for the communities but for teams and the NFL.”

The Bears are studying two potential stadium sites in Hammond, Ind., for a domed stadium but have yet to rule out building in Illinois altogether. They own 326 acres in Arlington Heights, where they have tried to push for property tax breaks, but to no avail.

The Bears pushed for PILOT legislation, which would have allowed them to negotiate payments in lieu of taxes, but that plan died at the end of the spring session. The House adjourned without voting on a last-minute option that would have allowed any Cook County municipality with more than 70,000 residents to create their own stadium financing authority.

Barring a special session to take up the Bears’ cause, lawmakers won’t return for their next session until the fall.

The Bears’ board of directors voted in early June to focus on their Indiana plan, for which they’ve pledged $2 billion. Bears president/CEO Kevin Warren and chairman George McCaskey didn’t rule out Illinois earlier this month.

Goodell did not give a timeline for the Bears making a decision. Their stadium search has dragged on for more than five years.