After Friday’s joint practice with the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears Chairman George McCaskey and President/CEO Kevin Warren visited with reporters at Halas Hall, touching on a variety of topics from the team’s pursuit of a new stadium to Ben Johnson’s arrival as head coach.
Here are four things we learned during that session.
1. On the stadium front, the Bears remain hopeful for cooperation from the state legislature this fall.
Specifically, in the quest for a potential stadium build in Arlington Heights, the Bears are pushing for passage of a “mega projects” bill this fall that would improve their tax responsibilities on the 326-acre property where a stadium would be constructed.
They had hoped such a bill, which would freeze property taxes on large-scale projects, would gain traction during the state legislature’s spring session, but the bill never even progressed to a vote. And despite Warren’s public push Friday for such financial support, there are no promises the bill will generate any momentum when the fall session convenes.
“It is very, very important that it passes,” Warren said. “Because without that legislation, we are not able to proceed forward.”
Warren emphasized that a Bears stadium project would create an estimated 56,000 construction jobs plus 9,100 permanent jobs.
“You’re talking about putting people to work,” Warren said. “This is an economic bill that would give people jobs, allow them to work and get to work. Yes, the Bears would benefit from it. But there’s much more than the Bears benefiting from this bill. The entire state of Illinois would benefit from it.”
Warren reiterated that the property the Bears own in Arlington Heights remains the central focus for the stadium project and that, in an ideal world with the requisite legislative support, the team still could “move dirt” before year’s end with a formal groundbreaking in 2026.
But momentum has been sporadic at best since the team entered a purchase agreement on the former Arlington Park racecourse property more than four years ago, and it’s difficult to forecast where things will turn from here.
As for the possibility of a new stadium project in Chicago, a request for comment from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office went unanswered Friday.
2. George McCaskey provided an update on the team’s board of directors.
The vacancy on the board created by Virginia McCaskey’s death in January has been filled by Edward L. McCaskey, the son of board secretary Patrick McCaskey and Virginia’s grandson.
George McCaskey referred to Edward as “my favorite nephew.”
“I told him: ‘You have big shoes to fill, kid,’” George said. “He has been fantastic so far. He’s bright. He’s articulate. He asks great questions. He’s eager to learn. And it’s exciting to have the next generation of our family on the board.”
George McCaskey would not confirm a Crain’s Chicago Business report that the 2% ownership stake previously held by Andrew McKenna — who died in February 2023 — has been split equally between the McCaskey family and the family of board member Pat Ryan.
“We consider those matters to be private,” he said. “The important thing as far as we’re concerned — and the thing that Bears fans might have on their minds or might be concerned about — is that the Halas/McCaskey family was, is and remains what the NFL calls the controlling owner for the team.”
3. Praise for general manager Ryan Poles was emphatic.
Earlier this summer, word leaked out of Halas Hall that Poles had received a contract extension through the end of the 2029 season that links his timeline with Johnson’s. It was a vote of confidence in Poles’ future running the team more than a reward for significant achievement.
The Bears have struggled through Poles’ first three seasons as GM, losing more than 70% of their games and experiencing 10-game losing streaks in both 2022 and 2024. Toward the end of last season, with the Bears going 84 days between their fourth and fifth victories, there was curiosity within league circles as to whether Poles would be invited back for a fourth season, particularly after the in-season firing of Matt Eberflus the day after Thanksgiving and the turbulence the team faced throughout quarterback Caleb Williams’ rookie season.
But the Bears allowed Poles to oversee the team’s coaching search in January that resulted in Johnson’s hiring. Warren was asked Friday about the decision to extend Poles’ contract.
“We made it very clear how we feel about Ryan,” he said. “He is a world-class leader. He’s talented. He’s hard-working. He has a transformative thought process, which is critically important.”
Added McCaskey: “It shows our faith in him. Ryan will be the first person to tell you we don’t have the results yet. But you can see him putting the building blocks together. His staff is strong. His leadership is sound. He’s a great listener. He’s a great leader. And we think he’s a great talent evaluator.
“Plus, we think that his partnership with Ben is going to bring Bears fans the winner they deserve.”
4. Ben Johnson has left a positive first impression on his bosses.
Warren said Johnson has been “everything we had hoped for, everything we had planned for and then some,” complimenting the first-year coach for his leadership, work ethic, positivity, creativity and planning skills.
McCaskey also admires the way Johnson has attacked his first six months on the job.
“He’s intense, he’s demanding, he’s committed, he’s intelligent,” McCaskey said. “And you can see the respect the players have for him. They know he knows ball. And they know that he can make them better.”
Tribune reporter Jake Sheridan contributed.