Chicago Bears: The Impossible May Now Be A Possibility

The McCaskey family runs the Chicago Bears franchise in old-school fashion. With internal strife, however, some things that were thought of as being untenable might now actually happen.

Well, this has been one incredible offseason for the Chicago Bears. After decades of failing to find a franchise quarterback, the team made a concerted effort to get their man. They inquired on two of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson. They even made a huge offer to pry Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks.

While their efforts didn’t work, it was great to see the team make a big effort in changing their quarterback misfortunes. They continued that effort in the draft by pulling the trigger on a deal that brought one of the top prospects in the draft, Justin Fields. Suddenly, the negativity surrounding the team changed. After a few more moves that strengthened the roster, Chicago Bears fans became downright giddy. After years and years of watching the team run through mud, suddenly things may change.

The whirlwind continues as two other items many Chicago Bears fans never thought could come to fruition — a move to a better stadium and a day in which the McCaskeys don’t run the team.

Talks about a new stadium gain traction

Now it appears that even more change could come to Halas Hall. Recent reports have the Bears possibly mulling a move from the Chicago Park District-controlled Soldier Field to their own stadium in Arlington Heights. After decades at Soldier Field, the smallest venue in the NFL, the Bears could find themselves in a bigger, more modern stadium.

While it seems like a move by the Bears is unlikely, there are moving parts that indicate the possibility. At a recent league meeting, the Chicago Bears stadium project was a topic. While the Bears deny anything that deals with a possible move, this topic doesn’t just pop up out of nowhere.

Yes, there are obstacles to a move. One of them is the lease the team has with the city. That lease runs to 2033. As we know, though, teams can get out of leases, especially if it has the backing of the NFL. The Bears lose out in a lot of revenue because of how small Soldier Field. In addition, the league hosted a Super Bowl in New York a few years ago. That isn’t a possibility at Soldier Field. The league would love to host a Super Bowl in the third-largest market in the league.

With the league’s backing, a move by the Bears is more realistic. There were talks about moving before, but the league didn’t exactly support it fully. Things are different now, and we might now see something happen.

Could the McCaskeys sell the team?

The other thing we never thought could happen is the McCaskey family selling its control of the team. Daily Herald writer Jim O’Donnell’s recent article about the Chicago Bears was a shocker — the family might actually sell the team.

The most striking reply came from an individual with exceptional knowledge of the working dynamic within the McCaskey family.

That person said: “There is some internal strife going on among family members to sell … now.”

The strife makes perfect sense. Even if it is opposite to prevailing thought that the franchise will never be sold as long as Mrs. Virginia McCaskey — age 98 — has an earthly say.

As O’Donnell mentioned, the thought was that  Virginia McCaskey would never sell the Chicago Bears. However, the same cannot be said once she passes. At her advanced age, that possibility is closer to happening. At this point, with all the heirs, many would prefer to receive a piece of the $3.53 billion Bears pie.

Virginia and her son, the franchise’s Chairman of the Board, Geroge McCaskey, run the team as if the NFL was still in the 80s. At some point, the pressure from the fans and the media and the league to get the franchise back on track becomes too much. Perhaps this offseason is the start of the family’s last-ditch effort to bring winning football back to Chicago before riding off into the sunset.

In any case, we’ve seen some incredible things this offseason. Things are so incredible that things we never thought to happen now seem to move to distinct possibilities. A new era of Chicago Bears football indeed.