TIME CHANGE: Bears vs. Packers Flexed to Saturday Night Primetime – A Night of Revenge in the NFC North

Chicago, Illinois – December 19, 2025 As the Chicago Bears continue to show clear signs of revival on the field, a very different storm is quietly building behind the scenes. This time, the spotlight isn’t on the roster or the coaching staff, but squarely on CEO Kevin Warren, who is facing growing frustration from influential figures across Illinois following his latest update on the franchise’s long-running stadium plans. In recent remarks, Warren acknowledged that the Bears have still not finalized a location for a future stadium, then sparked controversy by stating the organization is exploring options outside the state of Illinois, including Northwest Indiana. For many political leaders and local power brokers, this wasn’t viewed as a routine business update—it was interpreted as a warning shot, one that pushed already-thin patience closer to its breaking point. The stadium question has lingered over the Bears for years. The original plan in Arlington Heights stalled amid tax disputes and policy disagreements. Subsequent conversations about potential downtown Chicago sites surfaced, then quietly faded. As 2025 draws to a close, the central question—where will the Bears play in the long term?—remains unanswered, and that uncertainty is increasingly wearing on state leadership. According to multiple local sources, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and several senior lawmakers are particularly displeased with how Warren has framed the situation. From their perspective, publicly floating the possibility of leaving Illinois undermines the historic bond between the Bears and Chicago, especially at a moment when fans are beginning to believe in the team again. The timing of the comments—amid an on-field resurgence—only intensified the backlash. The criticism extends beyond the message itself to Warren’s leadership style. Detractors argue that while he frequently speaks about long-term vision and big-picture planning, he has failed to provide clear timelines or concrete milestones, allowing the stadium saga to stretch from year to year without visible resolution. In a market as large and demanding as Chicago, that ambiguity has become increasingly difficult to tolerate. Kevin Warren was hired with a primary mandate: solve the Bears’ stadium problem once and for all. Instead of delivering clarity, his latest update produced more questions—and more frustration—behind closed doors. As the season moves forward, the pressure on Warren is no longer confined to internal meetings. It is quickly becoming a political, media, and trust issue for the franchise. And if a definitive path isn’t presented soon, the current impatience could evolve into the most significant off-field crisis the Bears face—even as the team continues to win on Sundays.