Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show
Mayor Brandon Johnson claims to have had 'advanced' talks with Bears about a stadium
02 Jun 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What recent developments did Mayor Johnson share about the Bears stadium discussions?
I wanted to talk about PCA I wanted to talk about hitting a home run squirreling to the tarps off moving and then the fan who couldn't throw the ball back onto the field and then it hit another fan in the back of the head then a Cubs fan got it and laugh I wanted to do all those things This is courtesy of Paris Schutz, who was on with Mully and Haw yesterday.
He is one of the political reporters for NBC5. He posted this at the top of the hour. New. Mayor Johnson says recent discussions with the Bears were more advanced than previously known.
Chapter 2: What are the proposed locations for the new Bears stadium?
He says city officials have been discussing term sheets with the Bears on a lakefront stadium proposal. The Bears have consistently said Hammond and Arlington Heights are the only two sites in play. What are they doing?
He quote tweeted that tweet, Layla, and said, and given what happened or didn't happen in Springfield this weekend, one can conclude Hammond is in the driver's seat at this moment.
Chapter 3: How did the Chicago caucus influence the stadium proposal?
Based on Brandon Johnson's statement yesterday, it was safe to say that there was some play that had been pulled among the Chicago caucus. Maria Pappas even appearing on our station would give you the indication that there was some sort of interest as to what the city had outside of them being out of the mix. J.B.
Pritzker had previously said last week that there's no plan from the mayor of Chicago. Those were his exact words.
Chapter 4: What implications does the pilot bill failure have for the Bears and Chicago?
And then we found out from Marianne Ahern, who reports alongside Paris, that the Chicago caucus did not vote at the Senate in favor of the pilot bill, which didn't just help the bears. It would have helped other mega projects. And as the governor mentioned, 38 other states have won. Illinois is behind on this.
I go back to it.
Chapter 5: What concerns do the hosts express about the Bears' transparency?
And now we hear this, that there was some sort of clandestine set of discussions going on behind the scenes that not only undermined a bill that was going to work to help business in the state, but that a plan that I cannot, for any good reason, see Chicago taxpayers supporting in any way, shape, or form in any modicum of extra tax money going to something like this.
I go back to what Jeff Buchholz said in our studio about there being no appetite for the bill itself, the original one that failed. And you mentioned the Chicago caucus obviously being the group that stopped this from happening. And is there a delusion factor going on? Here's what I'm seeing, Layla.
Chapter 6: How are the Bears' plans perceived in light of recent political dynamics?
If this Parashut's report is accurate and his reporting has been accurate along the way, Someone's reputation is about to burn to the ground over this. It could be Kevin Warren. It could be George McCaskey. It could be Brandon Johnson.
Chapter 7: What potential outcomes could arise from the Bears' negotiations?
It could be all three of them.
I think from the Brandon Johnson side of it is this last-ditch effort to try to save what political capital you think you have because multiple reports say some big names are interested in running for mayor.
Well, clearly, this news is coming from Brandon Johnson's camp that there's, you know, they're talking term sheets in a specific location on the lakefront. And with the Bears messaging being the opposite, we are down to two sites. Someone is lying here.
Chapter 8: What final thoughts do the hosts have about the Bears' future in Chicago?
Someone's lying. Someone's not telling the truth.
Well, keep in mind, so Paris mentioned this for a reason. The Bears have consistently said Hammond and Arlington Heights are the only two sites in play. That's what the league reported from the meetings with the NFL.
Yes.
Who they need help from. The NFL is putting some of the bill on this. And that multiple reports, pick your favorite Bears reporter, had said out of the NFL meetings that these were the only two sites. They stressed that. They reiterated it. This flies in the face of all of it.
If you're following this story and... it's becoming this point where you just want something to happen, right?
At this case, if these are the options, I want nothing to happen. Stay in Soldier Field. You can't get it together.
Well, at least stay at Soldier Field. There's no extra money that the taxpayers or the local taxpayers are responsible for. But if you're building a new stadium, I got to see what that looks like from a financial standpoint, from a what does the city have to do?
You better let people know what it is. But when you meet in secret like this, to quote the office, secret secrets are no fun. Secret secrets hurt someone.
Did you take us back to middle school with that one?
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