Bears CEO Kevin Warren Reiterates Focus on Hammond, Ind., and Says Team Name Will Not Change

The Chicago Bears’ bid to leave Soldier Field has reached a key moment of clarity, with team leadership indicating that the organization’s long-term plan is centered on a stadium in Hammond, Indiana rather than any change to the franchise’s brand. In remarks reported this week, president and CEO Kevin Warren reiterated that the Bears remain focused on building a new stadium in Hammond and that the team will not change its name.

The backdrop is a major announcement the Bears made in June, when they outlined preliminary plans to depart Chicago’s longtime home stadium for a new facility in Hammond. Since then, the process has been described as slow-moving, with continuing efforts underway in Illinois meant to keep the franchise in its established market.

According to the report, Warren addressed the broader narrative that has surrounded the franchise since the June announcement, emphasizing that the organization’s attention is staying locked on the stadium effort in Hammond. Just as importantly, he pushed back on the idea that any relocation would require rebranding, stating that there is no plan to change the team name.

That distinction matters for fans and for the league’s broader business realities. The Bears’ identity, built around a century-plus history in Chicago football culture, is closely tied to the franchise name itself. Moves that involve branding changes typically come with additional legal, marketing, and stakeholder complexity, so Warren’s message suggests leadership wants to keep the conversation focused on the stadium pathway rather than a parallel debate over identity.

The political and logistical side of an NFL stadium project is often where momentum stalls. Even when a team identifies a preferred site, a successful outcome usually depends on aligned funding mechanisms, governmental approvals, and timelines that satisfy both sides. In the Bears’ case, the report frames the Illinois response as ongoing and consistent with the kind of competitive effort that has appeared in other major-market stadium discussions.

For Bears supporters, the practical takeaway is that leadership is trying to manage expectations. A stadium move is not a single decision, and the report suggests the franchise views Hammond as the center of gravity for its planning while Illinois continues to pursue arguments and options to retain the Bears.

What to watch next is whether the Bears’ Hammond-focused path begins to translate into concrete milestones that move beyond “preliminary” planning. If leadership continues to reiterate there will be no team-name change, the next phase of the story is likely to shift from branding implications to the specifics of project approvals, financing frameworks, and timelines that determine whether a move becomes real.