The 48-Hour Reversal
2026-02-22 · Kevin Warren, President & CEO (Bears)
February 19–22, 2026. Indiana's House Ways & Means Committee passed SB 27 24-0 on February 19, creating a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority for a Bears stadium in Hammond near Wolf Lake. Warren issued a statement calling this a 'step forward' and 'the most meaningful efforts in our stadium planning efforts to date.' Two days later, after reports emerged that owner George McCaskey was 'livid' with the Indiana messaging, Warren issued a contradictory statement to Crain's Chicago Business expressing appreciation for Illinois' progress. The two statements are irreconcilable without acknowledging that ownership intervened.
What he said
[Statement 1 — February 19–20, 2026, via NFL.com and multiple outlets]
"We appreciate Indiana's step forward with Senate Bill 27. This represents the most meaningful efforts in our stadium planning efforts to date."
[Context: Warren also called Indiana SB 27 passing a "step forward" — praising the legislation publicly while Illinois was simultaneously waiting for the Bears to reschedule a hearing they had canceled the previous week.]
[Statement 2 — February 22, 2026, to Crain's Chicago Business]
"We continue to work with Illinois' leadership and appreciate the progress being made."
The fact-check
- "the most meaningful efforts in our stadium planning efforts to date" — Misleading
- While Indiana's legislative action was real and fast, calling it 'most meaningful' dismisses three years of Illinois negotiations and contradicts Warren's own December framing of Indiana as 'not about leverage.' The statement was walked back within 48 hours after ownership pressure became public.
- "We continue to work with Illinois' leadership and appreciate the progress being made." — Misleading
- This statement directly contradicts Warren's own public framing 48 hours earlier. The reversal is too sudden and too generic to reflect a genuine strategic update. It reflects ownership pressure, not a real change in Bears' position.