It appears that the wind is blowing out. Those gusts are always a topic of discussion in the Windy City, but it's typically for the baseball teams this time of year. This time, the wind blowing out is a sign of the Chicago Bears' imminent departure from the city as they move towards building a new home in a different zip code. On Aug. 13, Bears team president Kevin Warren provided an update on the stadium search. Warren told reporters that the team's sole focus is on moving to Hammond, Indiana at this point. The team has held occasional meetings with the state of Illinois, but the focus on Indiana hasn't changed. The message comes on the heels of a June statement from the Bears that initially noted the team's desire to pursue the project across the border in Indiana. "We believe a world-class stadium project in Hammond will transform the region, connecting Northwest Indiana to the South Side of Chicago through the Loop and across neighborhoods and suburbs stretching north of the city," Bears chairman George H. McCaskey and team president and CEO Kevin Warren said in a June statement. "It will bring Chicagoland together and deliver new opportunities to its residents and businesses." The Bears' days at Soldier Field had long been numbered, even if there was some uncertainty surrounding the next location. A search that began in 2021, team officials floated multiple options to build a new home. That included the thought of a move to Arlington Heights, keeping the Bears in Illinois and moving just 30 miles northwest of the existing site. However, this offseason presented a new option – Hammond. An idea that wasn't taken seriously at first quickly became a realistic possibility for a variety of reasons.
Indiana was not only willing to provide financial assistance in the process, but it also came without the political challenges that became present in Illinois. While various locations have been rumored, only one thing remained certain – the Bears weren't going to be playing in Chicago anymore, a city they called home since 1921. The Bears expressed that stance in a public statement on May 21. "The Chicago Bears have exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago, which was our initial goal," the team said. "There is not a viable site in the city. As a result, the only sites under consideration are in Arlington Heights and Hammond." Now it appears that site is down to one – Hammond. This story will be updated. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bears provide update on stadium search: 'Sole focus' is Indiana site