The NFL is an icon of Americana and with each team that competes in it the legacy of their home cities are carried with them. That's why its important that those teams actually play in their respective cities. Chicago Bears fans could see their beloved team, which has called the city home for nearly 105 years, move out of the state of Illinois entirely. The state of Indiana approved a measure Thursday that would clear the way for a stadium to be built in the northwest city of Hammond — nearly 30 miles south of Chicago — to house the team.
Soldier Field, home of the Bears since 1971, currently still has the team as tenants until 2033 and while Illinois politicians had been working with the franchise to remain, ownership seems to be favoring Indiana. The Hammond Bears doesn't have the same ring to it nor would it feel natural for the team to be playing in another state entirely from where its namesake city is located. But it's actually more common than we realize.
NFL teams that don't play in their namesake city: Bears could join the list
There are actually 11 current NFL teams that don't play in their namesake city with two included that play in a different state entirely. The unusual location typically comes down to finding a parcel of land large enough and zoned correctly for sports and entertainment usage plus potential practice facilities.
Here are the eight teams that play nearby their namesake cities:
- Las Vegas Raiders: Allegiant Stadium - Paradise, NV
- Dallas Cowboys: AT&T Stadium - Arlington, TX
- New England Patriots: Gillette Stadium - Foxborough, MA
- Buffalo Bills: Highmark Stadium - Orchard Park, NY
- San Francisco 49ers: Levi's Stadium - Santa Clara, CA
- Los Angeles Rams and Chargers: Sofi Stadium - Inglewood, CA
- Arizona Cardinals: State Farm Stadium - Glendale, AZ
The Patriots might be the only exception since they are named after a region and not a city but Boston is the most recognizable city in New England and the team does not play in Boston. Inglewood is technically within the Los Angeles metro area as is Glendale within Phoenix but residents of those cities realize just how much of a hike it really is to go from downtown to those locations. Just ask Dallas fans who drive 20.5 miles to Jerry World.
The Bears, however, could take this a step further and become the fourth team to join the small group of franchises that play in an entirely different state, not just city, than where their namesake city is located.
- New York Giants and Jets: MetLife Stadium - East Rutherford, NJ
- Washington Commanders: Northwest Stadium - Landover, MD
To be fair, there really isn't a whole lot of room in Manhattan for the New York teams to play so New Jersey, just across the river, became the next best option. That decision still doesn't sit well with New Yorkers, however.
The Commanders however, had no excuse for nearly 30 years. While Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington, D.C. was in need of repair, moving to Maryland made it that much harder for true fans to go to games. Thankfully, the team will return to the RFK site in 2030 and end the much maligned Maryland era behind.
Chicago still has time to reverse course and not abandon one of the most iconic venues in sports. But just like everything else, it always comes down to money.
If the city and Illinois can't cough up enough funds to give the team what it wants, the highest bidder will reap the rewards of what appears to be a new stadium rush. The Bears would be the fourth team to get a new home in the next four years, joining the Bills, Tennessee Titans and Commanders who will open new stadiums in 2026, 2027, and 2030, respectively.